The Three-Body Problem Lesson Plan

Why would members of the ETO want to worship the Trisolarans?

For some students, the portrayal of religion in The Three-Body Problem may come across as more unrealistic than positive or negative. On its face, the idea that a group of highly educated scientists would want to "worship" a mysterious, technologically advanced alien civilization – with all the inner complexities and conflicts that such civilizations come with – seems baldly ridiculous. However, in The Three-Body Problem, irrationality has ruled the day before (during the Cultural Revolution, for example), and it will probably do so again in the future. An argument can be made that the Trisolaran cult of the...