3 Body Problem: What Are Sophons?

Sophons play a major role in Netflix’s 3 Body Problem – but what exactly are they? And what’s their connection to one of the sci-fi show’s antagonists, VR avatar Sophon?

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3 Body Problem’s Sophons, Explained

Sophons are tiny (we’re talking proton-sized) 11-dimensional supercomputers. They were created by 3 Body Problem‘s alien race, the San-Ti, to spy on humanity ahead of their 400-year journey to Earth. Sophons fulfill this function scarily well, as they can zip around the globe at lightspeed, recording pretty much every form of human communication as they go. What’s more, all the intel gathered by the sophons on Earth gets instantly uploaded to their counterparts on the San-Ti’s planet via quantum entanglement (read more about that here – and try not to go cross-eyed). Oh, and Sophons can project imagery on human retinas, as well.

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The sophons’ espionage activities in 3 Body Problem go beyond simply snooping, though. While these pint-sized processors have limited capacity to directly interact with humanity – outside of our particle acceleration experiments, which they mess with by crashing into the particles involved – they can still cause plenty of havoc. That countdown timer hallucination messing with Auggie’s head early on in 3 Body Problem Season 1? Sophons did it. The cultists running around with heads full of San-Ti propaganda? Them again. So, all told, the sophons have done a solid job of softening up Earth for the San-Ti’s eventual invasion.

Isn’t Sophon Also a 3 Body Problem Character’s Name?

Yes, 3 Body Problem Season 1 also includes a character called Sophon, played by Sea Shimooka. She’s an imposing female warrior with a sword strapped to her back, who speaks on behalf of the San-Ti in their VR video game. How is she connected to the sophons? It’s unclear in the show itself, which doesn’t explicitly confirm whether Sophon is an AI construct or an actual San-Ti speaking through a human-looking avatar. There’s evidence for both in 3 Body Problem Season 1, Episode 5, “Judgment Day.”

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Here, Sophon doesn’t refute Jin’s theory that she’s an AI, but also says “we” when referring to the San-Ti. So, if this enigmatic go-between is an AI, she’s clearly been programmed to identify as a San-Ti. But regardless of her true nature, Sophon’s name is an obvious clue that sophons power her responses. They could provide the computing power necessary for such a sophisticated AI, or enable Sophon’s San-Ti end-user’s real-time interstellar chat via quantum entanglement. Fingers crossed Season 2 has the answer!

All eight episodes of 3 Body Problem Season 1 are currently streaming on Netflix.