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The model is flawed and fails to account for the activation of the XCOM project: humanity's first, and last line of defense against the alien threat. In all se
by rl3 4y ago
The model is flawed and fails to account for the activation of the XCOM project: humanity's first, and last line of defense against the alien threat.
In all seriousness though, if the universe is indeed populous then there's probably been innumerable alien XCOM projects.
I also can't help but think that we usually fail to appreciate the technology gaps involved. Human beings in a span of a few hundred years managed to go from the advent of electricity and industrial society, to artificial intelligence—all in what amounts to not even a blink of a cosmic eye. Yet recursively improving intelligence is conceivable to us.
2001: A Space Odyssey did a wonderful job illustrating such gaps. I think there's a good chance most civilizations (ours included) would not be equipped to even comprehend how to detect or fight an advanced civilization, let alone understand their very nature.
- SkyMarshal 4y ago> Human beings in a span of a few hundred years managed to go from the advent of electricity and industrial society, to artificial intelligence—all in what amounts to not even a blink of a cosmic eye. Also keep in mind that Humanity is a latecomer to the universe. We weren't the first species to evolve on Earth. First came the dinosaurs, about 230m years ago, and lasted till about 66m years ago, then went extinct. Then came humanity. But there may be planets in our galaxy or other ones where intelligent life happened to be the first species to evolve on that planet. If so, they have a multi-hundred million year head start on us, evolutionarily, scientifically, technologically. Yeah, there's no possible XCOM project against that. We just have to hope they're benevolent. (And if they've solved scarcity with energy->matter conversion, as in Star Trek, they may very well be - there's nothing we have that they could need or want)
- EamonnMR 4y agoI won't spoil the three body series for you, but it definitely has a 2001 scale representation with the power differences between civilizations.
- BiteCode_dev 4y agoIt is probably the greatest moment of the second book. I was giddy reading it, because it feels so logical, so realistic, and our reaction so congruent. I love Xcom but it very much portraits the absolute opposite of the 3 body problem trilogy.
- algo_trader 4y agoIs the 2nd book stand alone? I dont want to commit to some sort of a 3-tomb marathon ;(
- EamonnMR 4y agoSecond book is the best of the bunch, and if you've already been spoiled by this thread the first one may lack some of the thrust.