this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2024
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Basically a plot point for Three Body Problem
Spoiler tags don't seem to work in my client, so beware if you have only just started the books or tv series, or wish to not have your suspension of disbelief broken
That plot line is closely related to the biggest plot hole in the books and tv series
Sophons are sent to Earth at near light speed, presumably accelerated in a particle accelerator. They are the size of and very like protons. In fact they are protons that were unfolded, had AI computer logic etched into them, and were then refolded. How would they slow down? How would they change direction? Note that they are shown to turn within a fraction of the radius of a retina and hardly interact with matter at all.
A proton takes a fair bit of energy to accelerate to a high fraction of light speed, and just as much to stop or turn.
Oh yeah, they never explain the slowing down part huh? But they also seem to be self propelled somehow since they are zipping all over the place and slamming into particles inside of our particle accelerators.