Science Behind Netflix's '3 Body Problem'

Image: @3body/X

1 April 2024

Ever since its release, Netflix's new sci-fi drama '3 Body Problem' has been generating a lot of buzz and debate on the internet


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The series explores humanity's response to its greatest threat--other beings coming to conquer the planet


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At the core of the series is the 3-body problem, a question that has stumped scientists for centuries.  Body, here, means an astronomical object


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According to an astrophysicist, systems with two objects exerting gravitational force on one another, are predictable


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However, when a third body enters the mix, the whole system gets thrown into chaos


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In the show, the extraterrestrials' home planet is situated in a solar system with 3 suns, which can be highly unstable, making life difficult


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Since all three stars are exerting gravitational forces on each other, they end up throwing the solar system into chaos 


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That's why aliens desire to travel across the Universe in order to inhabit our relatively stable Solar System


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We only have one Sun, so Earth's future is relatively predictable – at least for the next few million years


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However, there's no guarantee that it will stay that way as there are still multi-body systems at play, as per the astrophysicist 


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 ndtv.com