3 Body Problem is full of complex science, but one of its neatest plot devices is more about storytelling than hard science — here’s how San-Ti’s Sophons work.
There’s a lot of complicated science going on in Netflix’s new series 3 Body Problem. Aside from the math puzzle that the series is named after, there are things like solar radio amplification, near light-speed travel, nano fibers, particle accelerators, and theoretical physics, just to name a few. But among the most complicated and confusing of all these elements are the Sophons, the little San-Ti assistants that prove to be massive nuisances to humanity throughout the first season.
The Sophons are one of the most fascinating and speculative sci-fi elements of the 3 Body Problem story, so to help you get a better understanding of what exactly they are and what they can do, we’ve put together a guide on everything you need to know about Sophons.
[Ed. note: This story contains spoilers for 3 Body Problem season 1.]What are the Sophons, exactly?
The Sophons are technically tiny proton-sized supercomputers that the San-Ti designed by folding protons out from three-dimensional objects into higher dimensions, giving them more space — where the San-Ti built the computers that they house.
