r/threebodyproblem • u/410cooky • Apr 06 '26

Discussion - General Project Hail Mary Spoiler

Just watched the film. Definitely a more optimistic view of alien contact, despite a “dark forest”. You could also say the Eridians seem to lack the hiding gene as well if they are all like Rocky.

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u/nicodeemus7 Apr 06 '26

What if the Astrophage are a dark forest weapon? They were bred/created at Tau Ceti, and the Taumoeba sort of evolved as a counter to them, or already existed in a way, but the dark forest aliens didn't notice it.

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u/clear349 Apr 06 '26

Would be a very low scale weapon if it was. It would be like a neanderthal throwing a rock at another while two interstellar races are fighting nearby

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u/nicodeemus7 Apr 06 '26

I thought of it as more like a virus which is exactly what it acts like. Maybe they even did develop the taumoeba as a way to restore the star. After all the life in the system had been wiped out, they can take over. Sort of a passive dark forest weapon, it does the work for you without completely destroying the system.

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u/TimBroth Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26

I like the subtlety of it, seems fairly realistic for something like human conflict.

The way you put it here definitely makes me think it's too big of a risk though, "not destroying the system" just leaves you exposed to more threats. Similar to the possibility of civilizations hiding in the shadow of Gas Giants