The Dark Forest and the Three-Body Problem
This passage contains some spoilers for the Netflix series “The Three-Body Problem” based on Cixin Liu’s work. If you want to avoid spoilers, you might want to skip this section. At the very least, you should watch the Netflix series first for the best experience. I’ve heard that the creators plan to complete the trilogy, but it seems the next installment might be a while off.
First of all, this is a novel that has won the Hugo Award and was praised by President Obama. On a deeper level, this novel profoundly reflects the geopolitical issues of our time, particularly the conflict between China and the United States, including technology trade barriers that extend beyond the semiconductor industry.
Immanuel Kant was one of the earliest to discuss the three-body problem, highlighting the irregular orbits among the Sun, Earth, and Moon in his 1754 essay, “Spin-Cycle.” He engaged directly with Newton, pointing out that the gravitational forces between these three bodies, despite their vastly different sizes, would cause Earth’s orbit around the Sun to deviate from the ideal. In the most abstract sense, these three bodies orbit each other, but the Sun’s massive size exerts an unparalleled influence over the other two. Before delving into philosophy and developing metaphysical concepts, Kant discussed reconciling the noumenal and phenomenal worlds.
This novel has been adapted into two series: one by a Chinese production that respects the original text, and another by Netflix, which changes the protagonist from a Chinese to an English character and adds more drama between characters, including the conflict between “political-military factions” and “academic-scientific factions,” which is done quite well.
In both the novel and the series, the three-body problem is expanded to a star system with three suns and one planet, home to the “Trisolarans” (三体). Strictly speaking, this is a four-body problem, involving three stars and one planet. The gravitational influences among these bodies make the planet’s orbit unpredictable, seasons uncertain, and extreme climatic variations, from boiling heat to freezing cold. Occasionally, when all three stars align, their combined gravitational force can even lift objects off the planet’s surface into the atmosphere.
Despite this, according to the author’s premise, the planet has periods of long-term “stability,” albeit unpredictable, during which life and civilization can develop. However, the cycles of stability and crisis cause civilizations to rise and fall repeatedly. Each new civilization learns from its predecessors, advancing knowledge and technology until they can develop interstellar travel. The Trisolarans, therefore, seek to migrate to a more stable star system and eventually contact humans, leading to information exchange with secret Earth organizations that support them (these organizations refer to the Trisolarans as “gods”).
This exchange of information is facilitated by supercomputers and AI systems densely packed with protons, enabling instant communication across space via quantum entanglement (Sophon). Besides instant interstellar communication, Sophon can also disrupt particle experiments like those at CERN and spy on the entire planet to prepare for the Trisolarans’ invasion.
Some geopolitical analysts see this as a reflection of the Chinese author’s deep psyche, mirroring China’s cyclical rise and fall. Think of the prelude to the Three Kingdoms: “The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide,” which was excellently translated by Chaophraya Phraklang (Hon) and his team. Many believe this prelude was written by Luo Guanzhong, but it was actually by Mao Lun and Mao Zonggang, after Luo Guanzhong’s time.
Additionally, the Trisolaran strategy of using Sophon to disrupt quantum-level experiments aims to prevent humanity from advancing technologically enough to counter them. Since interstellar travel takes around 400 years, if humans continue to develop, they might create technology to defend against or surpass the Trisolarans. This reflects the current geopolitical issue where the U.S. strategically sanctions various Chinese technologies to slow China’s technological growth, drawing from Cold War-era Project Socrates. China counters with its own sanctions and innovation incentives, but whether these efforts will yield substantial technological advancements remains to be seen.
However, a crucial idea from Cixin Liu, not as clearly depicted in the series, is that Trisolarans can communicate directly via brain waves, eliminating lying or deception — a stark contrast to humans, who communicate separately through speech or writing, allowing for discrepancies between thought and communication, creating space for deception.
Cixin Liu exploits this plot cruelly (this is a compliment) because one fundamental aspect of Chinese culture is state warfare and the development of “military strategy,” as seen in Sun Tzu’s works.
The United Nations then approves the Earth Defense Council and develops the “Wallfacer” strategy, appointing four individuals (inspired by Zen meditation). These Wallfacers must devise plans to counter the Trisolarans’ invasion without revealing their strategies, supported with unlimited global resources. This policy aims to counter the ultimate AI, Sophon.
In response, the Trisolarans develop the “Wallbreaker” strategy to uncover and expose the Wallfacers’ plans.
Most Wallfacer strategies are based on deterrence theories from international relations and geopolitics.
World order arises from the fear of death since the world’s stabilizers hold nuclear-armed missiles. Waging war means mutual destruction.
Similarly, the Wallfacers’ strategies must deter the Trisolarans from invading Earth. But the Trisolarans have too much at stake, having traveled interstellar distances with no retreat option.
One plan involves detonating numerous nuclear bombs to turn Mercury into a mini-star, which would merge with the Sun, triggering a thermonuclear reaction, transforming it into a red giant, engulfing the entire solar system — a suicidal deterrence strategy.
This plan fails, but the final Wallfacer’s plan involves reversing the Fermi Paradox.
According to the Drake Equation, the vast number of star systems should yield many civilizations, especially if only a small fraction develop interstellar technology. If so, why haven’t we encountered extraterrestrials? (Besides in fiction.)
The simple answer is the vastness of space and long travel times prevent efficient communication. The situation mirrors a “dark forest” at dusk, where creatures maintain their territories without encroaching on others.
The last Wallfacer devises the “Dark Forest” strategy to deter the Trisolarans by revealing the locations of both the solar system and the Trisolarans’ star system to the broader universe, prompting an interstellar war.
But the Trisolarans have gone too far to retreat. They decide to “call the bluff” of the final Wallfacer, now the “Swordholder,” who must decide whether to expose their star systems’ locations. The immense psychological pressure means this decision can’t be transferred to AI like ChatGPT, as Sophon would intercept it.
To find out the outcome, read the final book, “Death’s End.”
