Three-Body Episode 1 Recap
> Three-Body Recap
In the summer of 2007, as preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games were underway, renowned physicist Yang Dong was found dead in her bedroom. Police determined she had committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills, as there were no signs of foul play. Shortly after, the military took over the scene.
Captain Shi Qiang of the Public Security Bureau remained in his car playing a game on his phone, while his team was informed that they needed to "invite" several scientists to a meeting. The recent string of scientist suicides, including Yang Dong's, had alarmed the scientific community. On the television program "Interact with Science," biologist Pan Han, known for predicting an ecological disaster from genetically modified crops, described the over-development of technology as a disease.
He compared its explosive growth to cancer, arguing that it would ultimately destroy its host, humanity, and that scientists were merely the first to recognize this bleak reality. Later, Shi Qiang and a military officer visited the home of nanomaterials expert Wang Miao. Wang immediately stated that smoking was not allowed in his apartment. Shi Qiang questioned him about his contact with an organization called the Frontiers of Science.
Wang described it as a legitimate and influential international academic group, questioning why he shouldn't associate with it. When Wang asserted his right to privacy and tried to end the conversation, Shi Qiang physically blocked the door. The military officer intervened, politely informing Wang of a mandatory high-level meeting that afternoon and confirming that his other appointments had already been rescheduled. After verifying their credentials, Wang agreed to attend.
As he closed the door, he overheard the officers outside complaining about Shi Qiang's crude behavior and questioning his presence in the Battle Command Center. That afternoon, Wang arrived at the Battle Command Center, a requisitioned art museum. Shi Qiang apologized for his earlier bluntness and gave Wang a brief tour. He asked about Wang’s research, musing about whether his nanomaterial could be used to slice a truck in half.
Wang confirmed a line one-hundredth the thickness of a human hair could do so, but added that if one is determined, any object can become a weapon. Shi Qiang agreed, citing a murder case he investigated where the weapon was a frozen fish. In the meeting, General Chang Weisi introduced international military liaisons, including Colonel Stanton from the North American Combat Zone and Colonel Mike from the European Combat Zone.
Shi Qiang whispered to Wang that their goal was to gather intelligence without sharing any. General Chang announced that an "enemy" offensive against top scientists was escalating, leading to a sharp increase in suicides worldwide. Wang was stunned to see Yang Dong's name on the list of victims. The General explained that most of the scientists, in their final moments, had come to believe that physics itself did not exist.
At Wang's request, Shi Qiang procured Yang Dong’s suicide note from her fiancé, Dr. Ding Yi. Yang Dong’s note read: "All evidence points to a single conclusion: physics has never existed, and will never exist. I know what I'm doing is irresponsible, but I have no choice." The discussion turned to the Frontiers of Science, an organization linked to most of the deceased scientists.
Ding Yi explained that the group sought to determine if there was a fundamental boundary to scientific inquiry, a limit they believed humanity was now encountering. General Chang then spoke with Wang privately, asking him to infiltrate the Frontiers of Science as an informant. Wang explained that he had been invited to their gatherings by a physicist named Shen Yufei but had declined to join, as his work in applied physics differed from their focus on fundamental theory.
He repeatedly refused the General's request, citing his busy schedule. Shi Qiang interjected, crudely questioning Wang’s fortitude and stating he didn't want to see anyone else die. Enraged, Wang declared he never wanted to see Shi Qiang again. After dismissing Shi Qiang, the General explained that Shi was a veteran anti-terrorism expert whose experience was vital. Wang questioned why the military was involved, and Chang cryptically replied that a war was beginning.
He asserted that humanity's long period of peace had been an "accident" that was now over, urging a shaken Wang to prepare himself. A flashback to ten months earlier reveals the origin of Yang Dong's despair. At a high-energy particle accelerator base where she was the lead scientist, she was inexplicably shown the results of an upcoming collider experiment before it had even run. The data was anomalous.
When the actual experiment commenced, the live results were just as chaotic and nonsensical, confirming an impossibility. As she grappled with this, a mysterious voice spoke to her, using the metaphor of an insect on a pane of glass, unable to pass through because it cannot perceive the true nature of the barrier. This experience shattered her belief in the laws of physics. Back in the present, General Chang considered recruiting Dr. Ding Yi to infiltrate the Frontiers of Science.
However, Shi Qiang argued that the organization must have had a specific reason for approaching Wang Miao, speculating it was connected to his research on mass-producing "nano flying blades." Elsewhere, a disembodied voice offered to help an unknown party "get the world," stating its own civilization needed outside help to solve its problems. The episode concludes as a car arrives to pick up Dr. Ding Yi for a meeting.
