THE 3-BODY PROBLEM

Today is sci-tech day, but first, another White House administration blunder.  To no one's surprise, they lied again and again and again.  Today, Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, who President Trump called a sleaze bag, published the full text chain of this current brouhaha.

But after Trump officials insisted Tuesday that no classified material was shared in the chat ‒ and downplayed the gravity of the breach ‒ the magazine's journalists said they decided to disclose the messages to let people "reach their own conclusions."

According to a story published by Goldberg on Wednesday morning, Hegseth at 11:44 a.m. on March 15 ‒ about 30 minutes before the first airstrikes ‒ sent an update to the group that read: "TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.”

There was a lot more.  Read that article.

Hawaii has 13 holidays/year, and one no other state has, Prince Kuhio Day, which is today, March 26.  In 2026 we will have 14 holidays, for the midterm election day, November 3, will also be one.  However, we do not have the most holidays in the nation, for, while we have three unique ones, Kuhio, King Kamehameha and election days, we do not celebrate Columbus Day, which is a national holiday.

Why is Prince Kuhio so important to deserve a state holiday?

• Born into Hawaii royalty on 26March1871 as Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole.
• Was destined to become king, but the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1893.
• Served as Delegate to Congress for nearly two decades.
• Responsible for Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 being enacted by the U.S. Congress, establishing a homesteading program for those with at least 50% Hawaiian ancestry, which hasn't, actually, worked all that well.

• 
  Introduced the sport of surfing to the world.
• Prince Kuhio Day celebrated annually since 1949, a time of cultural Hawaiian festivals and a parade, which begins at 5PM in Kapolei.

• 
  You can visit his resting place, the Royal Museum, located close by 15 Craigside on Nuuanu Avenue.
• Waikiki Beach is, essentially, Kuhio Beach.
• The federal building is named after him.

Some of you have explored this concept in a college physics course.  I've taken several, and don't recall this subject.  From Google AI Overview:

The three-body problem, a core concept in classical mechanics and celestial mechanics, is typically explored in college-level courses in physics, specifically classical mechanics and celestial mechanics, as well as advanced mathematics courses like differential equations and dynamics. 

How acquainted are you with the 3-body problem?  

• From Wikipedia:

In physics, specifically classical mechanics, the three-body problem is to take the initial positions and velocities (or momenta) of three point masses that orbit each other in space and calculate their subsequent trajectories using Newton's laws of motion and Newton's law of universal gravitation.^[1]

• 
  There is some history to this phenomenon, as in 1687 Isaac Newton attempted to figure out if long term stability is possible for a system like the Earth, the Moon and the Sun.  His thinking was guided by the works of Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler.

There was a time when I read a lot books.  Not much anymore, for I now download these publications into my iPhone.  I finally finished The Three-Body Problem,  the first of a trilogy.  Many have characterized this publication to be exceptional.  Maybe because I was trying to read it on my 16 Pro, in 3-5 minute scans, over many months...I got thoroughly lost and never appreciated what the author was saying.  It was written by then 44-year old Liu Cixin, computer engineer and science fiction author from China in 2008. For his effort, won a Hugo Award for Best Novel, the first for an Asian writer.

• The book delves into complex scientific concepts like physics, astrophysics, and theoretical possibilities, which can be challenging for readers unfamiliar with these fields. 

• 

  Dense Prose and Pace:  The writing style is often described as dense and detailed, with a lot of information being presented at once.                      Non-Linear Plot:  The story jumps between different timelines and characters, making it difficult for some readers to follow the narrative initially. 

The subsequent development of this publication has been impressive and also almost totally confusing.  There were several productions.

• Here is a review of the book.
• A Chinese film, The Three Body Problem, was made in 2015, but never released.  One reason was the perceived low quality of the first cut.  Another suggested that the Chinese VFX industry could not handle the complex visual effects.
• 
  A Chinese TV series by Tencent, Three-Body was made available in 2023, now Peacock and Prime.  There are 30 episodes.  I believe this is episode 1.
• A Netflix series, The 3-Body Problem, with 8 episodes came out in 2024.  This is the full episode 1.

Which one should you watch?

• I'll comment no more on that Chinese film version.
• Both series are based on the novel, but they differ quite a bit in approach, with the Chinese production more faithful to the source material and the Netflix effort taking more liberties with the story and character.

• 
  Chinese series:
• Deep exploration into the science and politics.
• Slow pace with a focus on character development.
• Intricate storylines.
• There is strong evidence of Chinese media control, as for example, presented is their Cultural Revolution in the eyes of the government.
• Much scientific detail, catering to viewers who enjoy complex science fiction.  I have a PhD in biochemical engineering and would guess that I would be overwhelmed by the mathematics and physics.

• 
  Netflix series:
• Huge liberties from novel.
• Faster paced, with focus on action and suspense.
• Open portrayal of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and other sensitive topics.
• Simplifies the science for more accessible viewing.

Here is a comment by SadStatistician5658  on Reddit:

Ok, just started watching them in parallel, thought it might be fun. The Netflix version is slick and moves at about the right pace. There isn’t much lecturing on relativity and quantum physics, or pointless speculation at undergraduate level, which is all to the good. But I’m only halfway, so maybe Dan and David will find a way to mess it up. The Chinese version is soo sloow, and the portentous music is overbearing and intrusive, and the first two episodes feel provincial and limited, like it’s ignoring the last fifty years of SF, and can’t be bothered to take anyone outside China seriously. It feels like a seventies show with fairly hoky effects, and it references Asimov early on, and that’s about the level of depth it has, and no more. It also underplays the catastrophe of the cultural revolution, which is at the center of the novel and the motivation of the most important character. That said, it has the charm of a seventies television movie that takes itself very seriously, and the drabness of it all is interesting. But why is everyone driving a VW? Anyway, anyone wanting a good and faithful adaptation of the novel including all its shortcomings will like the Chinese version. Anyone wanting something faster without the endless exposition might enjoy the Netflix version more.

I began watching the Netflix version because I'm into the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, but paused early in the effort.  Thought I'd first go read the book.  Now that I'm finished with that, I'll return to Netflix.  Somehow, the book and early episode or two I saw seem so different.  In the book, almost everything happens in China.  The series, so far, is mostly about characters in the U.S.  As I said, confusing.

Not sure if I'll ever attempt to watch the 30 episode Chinese series, for each one is from 44-63 minutes long, and that would add up to around 24 hours.  Netflix has okayed planning for two more seasons, because there are two more books in the trilogy.

Further:

• The full timeline of the 3-Body Problem:  18 million years in 9 minutes.
• Here, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the 3-Body Problem.
• Finally, nothing to do with T3BP, but here is Piers Morgan grilling Tyson, like, Is there a God?

Finally:  Good news---New research suggests that dark energy — the force pushing the cosmos apart — might not destroy the universe.

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