Technology within the Three-Body Problem
In Chapter 31 of The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin a meeting is held between the PLA and Americans to discuss a plan of how best to ambush Mike Evans ship crossing the Panama Canal. In this chapter particularly many ideas are proposed to use very highly advanced technology, ranging from ball lightning weapons, neutron bombs, nerve gas, concussion bombs, and infrasonic waves. The objective is to obtain sensitive data on the ship without harming it while also killing any enemies, and all of the above proposed methods would not work because they would destroy the data or let the enemy get away. It’s important to note how advanced the technological methods are in this chapter. Using such complicated types of bombs and other weaponry is mostly unheard of today, either because it is not developed or because it is too dangerous. The science fiction elements of the novel really shine bright in this chapter with all this advanced weaponry and technology.
Ultimately, the group decides on accepting a method proposed by Da Shi, a police officer. His method is essentially to cut up the ship and kill the crew members by using Wang Miao’s nano-material filament. This nano-material has enough mass to cut through crew members but is light enough to not harm hard drives containing the data the group is after. This filament, referred to as ‘flying blade’ in the book, is very similar to graphene. Graphene is a singular atomic level of carbon (graphite), which is one of the strongest and most conductive materials known to humankind, for a real life comparison. The fact Cixin has developed a concept, even in fiction, like nano-materials, shows just how extensive his research for this novel was. The level of sophistication behind all of these technological concepts/methods is quite admirable. All of these concepts add to the richness of this hard science fiction world. While the entire book depicts science fiction elements, this chapter outdoes itself with the technology and also the methods and intelligence of the characters, like Da Shi. This isn’t a book that is easy to read: it is challenging and may force you to look things up from time to time, or pause and consider ideas Cixin presents. While this is partly due to the meaning within the novel, it is also due to how complex it is with the science fiction elements throughout. Chapter 31 is evidence of The Three-Body Problem’s complexity.
Works Cited:
“Why Was the Building of the Panama Canal Important to the United States?” Answers, 3 Mar. 2018, www.mapsofworld.com/answers/united-states/why-building-panama-canal-important-for-usa/.
Zapatka, Cory, director. Why Graphene Hasn't Taken Over the World...Yet. YouTube, 1 July 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IesIsKMjB4Y.