The "Dark Forest Theory" is an important concept introduced in the science fiction novel The Three-Body Problem, written by Chinese author Liu Cixin. It describes the relationship between different civilizations in the universe, suggesting that all civilizations cannot trust one another and therefore choose to hide their existence to avoid being discovered and destroyed by others.
Basic Content of the Theory
The Universe is Like a Dark Forest:
Every civilization is like a hunter lurking in a dark forest, silently hiding and avoiding being detected by other hunters.
Mutual Suspicion Among Civilizations:
Since civilizations cannot confirm the good intentions of others, nor predict their future behavior, they must assume that other civilizations are potential threats.
Survival is the Primary Priority:
To survive, any civilization that discovers another may choose to strike first and eliminate the other to remove potential threats.
Silence is Golden:
Given this logic, mutual concealment and silence between civilizations become the only reasonable choices to avoid exposing their existence.
Impact and Insights
The "Dark Forest Theory" reflects a profound contemplation of the relationship between life and civilizations in the universe, proposing a pessimistic outlook where the cosmos might be filled with distrust and competition. It has a significant impact on the narrative of science fiction and has sparked widespread discussions about cosmology, philosophy, and the future development of humanity.
This concept also provides readers with a new perspective on extraterrestrial civilizations, exploring how they might interact with each other if multiple civilizations exist in the universe, and how we should face these potential unknowns.