Eiza González in ‘3 Body Problem.'.Photo:Courtesy of Netflix
Courtesy of Netflix
3 Body Problemisn’t a show to pay half-attention to.
While that means being taken on a vast adventure through time and space, it also means learning some new terms along the way. What are sophons? Who are the San-Ti? And what the heck is a chaotic era?
Below, PEOPLE’s spoiler-free3 Body Problemglossary has you covered. Read on, and the show’s sprawling journey will bethatmuch clearer when you stream it.
Chaotic EraA period of time when the San-Ti’s planet is essentially caught between two of the suns in its solar system. When this happens, their planet goes back and forth between being a searing, endless stretch of desert or frozen no-man’s-land.
Eve Ridley in ‘3 Body Problem.'.Courtesy of Netflix
Judgment DayA ship carrying San-Ti sympathizers, including Mike Evans (Jonathan Pryce), who view the traveling aliens almost like deities.
The Oxford FiveA close group of scientists, including Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo), Will Downing (Alex Sharp) and Jack Rooney (John Bradley), who undertake the unenviable task of saving the world… No pressure.
Particle AcceleratorsMachines that produce and speed up particles. The largest particle accelerator on Earth is the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland, which is capable of recreating the conditions of the universe after the Big Bang. The ring-shaped accelerator measures more than 16 miles in circumference and lies 109 yards underground.
Jovan Adepo, Alex Sharp and John Bradley in ‘3 Body Problem.'.Courtesy of Netflix
Sophon is also the name of a physical San-Ti ambassador (Sea Shimooka) who communicates with humans in a futuristic VR game and in the real world.
San-TiThe San-Ti, a name that translates to “three-body” in Mandarin, are a race of technologically-advanced aliens on their way to Earth. It will take the San-Ti nearly 400 years to arrive, but they make their presence known to humanity much sooner than that.
Stable EraA period of time when the San-Ti’s planet revolves around just one of the suns in its solar system. When this happens, their planet is easily inhabitable.
Sea Shimooka in ‘3 Body Problem.'.Courtesy of Netflix
Three-Body ProblemA scenario when three celestial objects — planets, stars, or suns — exert force onto one another. When those three or more bodies all exert force onto one another, their orbit becomes chaotic and hard to predict. Unlike ours, the San-Ti’s planet exists in a solar system with three suns. Because of that, their planet swings back and forth between chaotic and stable eras.
WallfacersThree individuals carefully selected for a United Nations project to independently develop confidential plans, kept only in their minds, to defeat the San-Ti.
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Season 1 of3 Body Problemis available to stream on Netflix.
source: people.com
