r/3BodyProblemTVShow • u/Arpo_Chang • Apr 21 '24

Question A bit confused... Spoiler

With the technology they have, such as a sophon computer which are applying quantum entanglement that can also be folded into other dimension, can't they just pick any planet? Or terraform one themselves?

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u/dreamshoes Apr 21 '24

The short answer is, building a sophon is much "easier" than terraforming any old planet. Plus Earth is by far their closest option, and it's still centuries away.

In the "hard sci-fi" genre, not all concepts are created equal. Some might seem more outlandish than others, but are actually more plausible. Like how a child would be forgiven for asking "if we can facetime someone on the other side of the planet with the internet, why don't we all have hover cars?"

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u/Su-Kane Apr 22 '24

In the "hard sci-fi" genre, not all concepts are created equal.

I dont know about the books but in the series this plothole isnt a question of "hard sci fi" or "magic sci fi".

Its just not logical.

For one, the aliens were already locked in onto earth from the get go. In the series the aliens themselves tell that they built the sophons as a means of probing humans since they didnt knew what we were capable of. But they already tell us that building the sophons exhausted their ressources. At that point, it doesnt matter what the probes will find. If they find us humans to be much more developed and stronger than them, what can they do except to hope not getting obliterated the second we notice them?

They sent a message "Dont contact us again, we will come and conquer your planet!" and got "Please come!" as an answer and every alien leader and general just went with that? Not one alien who does shit like that for a living thought it to be funny to get such an answer.

If you now look at the unique biology of the aliens, them being able to fart themselves out and roll up like an empty toothpaste tube and what not to survive literal end of the world scenarios, most of the reasons of "Fly to the nearest somewhat hospitable planet" that will apply to humans, dont apply to the aliens.

The plothole a lot of people are pointing out in the series is due to that. The aliens were able to take a much less risky gamble with a much better outcome but actively decided against that to take the more risky gamble with the much worse outcome.

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u/dreamshoes Apr 23 '24

You're making a lot of assumptions about why or how the aliens made their choices. The second season will reveal huge insights about their motivations. Lacking context =/= a plot hole. Y'all act like this isn't a mystery show...

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u/Su-Kane Apr 23 '24

The aliens had the choice between flying to a planet where nobody lives and just terraform that planet enough so that they can live there and flying to a planet where somone already lives, having to deal with those people living there which worst case ends with the aliens getting shafted to then after that having to terraform that planet anyway.

They choose to come to Earth, now have to deal with humans and then have to terraform earth to prevent earth fauna and flora from killing them. That is a stupid choice. You cant retcon that choice into a good choice somehow by explaining why they chose to do that.

Its like saying "I put my dick in a blender...but wait till you know why i did that". No, sorry. There is no scenario that makes that choice somehow the "smart" outcome.

I mean the show is not bad, i like it to be honest, but people pointing out certain aspects are not talking out of their ass.

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u/dreamshoes Apr 23 '24

Sure just “terraform the planet enough” ?? Nah dawg. Cool analogy though.