Earth civilization
Names: Earth civilizationhumanityhuman raceEarthhuman civilizationhumankind
First appears in Book 1: The Three-Body Problem, chapter 33 (33)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: The Three-Body Problem
- Ch 33Its humanism and culture, sent by alienated forces on Earth, have strong appeal on Trisolaris and risk spreading dangerous pacifism.
Book 2: The Dark Forest
- Ch 9Luo Ji predicts humanity will ask Trisolaris for better signal transmission (likely gravitational waves) and for the sophon block to be lifted with science taught.
Book 3: Death's End
- Ch 14After learning the dark forest truth, humanity shut down mobile phones and antennas worldwide, a move widely supported by the public.
- Ch 14Mobile networks were gradually restored, but radio communications were limited to minimum power, and violators risked trial for crimes against humanity.
- Ch 14Humanity is likened to a child who once called out by a bright campfire, then extinguished it and became fearful, isolated and paranoid.
- Ch 14Earth's electromagnetic leakage into space peaked in the analog era and later fell sharply as digital communication moved onto wires and optical cables.
- Ch 33Earth civilization had a tremendous impact on Trisolaris, and some human values resonated with the Trisolarans.
- Ch 34Most people initially clung to the illusion of a tranquil generation; no country responded and no one emigrated until the droplet attacks.
- Ch 44Faces enmity from the whole galaxy after the gravitational wave broadcast, and its population is declining rapidly.
- Ch 61The general public was relatively uninvested in lightspeed ships, believing they would have no chance to use them even if built in their lifetimes.
Connections
- enemy ofOur LordTrisolarans initiated the invasion; neither is now the other's greatest threat
Key moments
- Book 3 · Ch 14Humanity's panicked radio shutdown
After learning of the dark forest, humanity forcibly shut down antennas and mobile phones, then restored networks under severe electromagnetic restrictions, though these measures were largely meaningless.
- Book 3 · Ch 18Debate over replacing the Swordholder
Sixty years into deterrence, society debates the aging Luo Ji's role; AI control is rejected and replacing the Swordholder is proposed as a compromise.
- Book 3 · Ch 33Trisolaran technology explosion
Trisolaran technology shifted to explosive progress, likely due to human cultural influence via sophons that loosened totalitarianism, and possibly due to knowledge from another civilization found by exploratory sophons.
- Book 3 · Ch 34Reservation Proclamation
Sophon announces the Second Trisolaran Fleet arrives in four years and orders humanity to disarm and resettle in Australia within one year.
- Book 3 · Ch 34Droplet attack on three cities
Five days after the proclamation, a droplet strikes hanging buildings in cities on three continents, killing over 300,000 and showing human cities are defenseless.
- Book 3 · Ch 34Great Resettlement begins
After the attacks and Sophon's second speech promising eventual coexistence, humanity begins relocating to Australia.
- Book 3 · Ch 44Humanity debates safety notice proposals
After the Sophon–Cheng Xin–Luo Ji conversation is publicized, humanity floods in proposals for a safety notice, which divide into declaratory and self-mutilation camps, but none solve the problem of convincing a distant universe.
- Book 3 · Ch 57Three survival paths outlined
The excerpt compares the Bunker Project, Black Domain Plan and Lightspeed Spaceflight Plan, weighing feasibility, protection and costs, and concludes all three should be pursued at once.
- Book 3 · Ch 61Abandonment of lightspeed spaceflight research
Lightspeed ship research ended for reasons of concealment and safety, and also because humanity's painful history in space left it fearful. Elites split into supporters wanting galactic expansion and opponents fearing spread of totalitarianism.