Please summarize the plot of The Three-Body Problem without giving away the ending?
user
Certainly, I can give a brief summary of "The Three-Body Problem" by Liu Cixin without spoilers.

"The Three-Body Problem" is a science fiction novel that takes place in the 21st century. The plot revolves around a team of scientists trying to understand a message received from a distant planet named SDSS142857142. This message, known as the "First Contact", turns out to be an ancient Chinese warning about a powerful alien race known as the Trisolarans. The Trisolarans, using resources not available on Earth, erect three Suns, leading to extreme water scarcity and resulting in the creation of "Three-body" social hierarchies on a global, continental, and ultimately individual level. The characters’ motivations and their reactions to the warning end up shaping Earth's fate over a period of four centuries. The novel explores the nature of rationality, one of humanity's virtues, and how easily it can be absorbed, reason and morality - especially in the face of danger and violence. Without giving away any detail, it is a thought-provoking investigation into science fiction, the rise and evolution of humanoid life and its intelligence in the universe, and interstellar travel.
assistant
Please summarize the plot of The Three-Body Problem without giving away the ending?
user
"The Three-Body Problem" is a science fiction novel written by Chinese author Liu Cixin. The story is set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution and beyond, and it explores themes of science, philosophy, and first contact with an alien civilization.

The narrative begins with Ye Wenjie, a young astrophysicist, witnessing her father's death during the Cultural Revolution. This event leads her to join a secret military project called "Red Coast," which aims to establish contact with extraterrestrial life. Disillusioned by humanity's violence and chaos, Ye Wenjie sends a message to an alien civilization, the Trisolarans, inviting them to Earth.

Fast forward to the present day, nanotechnologist Wang Miao is drawn into a mysterious and seemingly paranormal phenomenon involving the seeming countdown of the end of the world, which turns out to be a virtual reality game called "Three Body." The game is a complex problem, challenging players to solve how three suns in an alien solar system gravitationally interact without forming a stable orbit. Wang Miao soon discovers that the game is connected to the impending invasion of Earth by the Trisolarans, whose civilization comes from the unstable solar system portrayed in the game.

A small group of scientists, including Wang Miao, Ye Wenjie, and a retired police officer named Shi Qiang, form an organization known as the Earth-Trisolaris Organization (ETO) to prepare for the Trisolaran invasion and find a way to save humanity. The story unfolds as humans struggle to develop new technologies, find ways to deter the alien invasion, and grapple with the moral implications of their actions. The novel's complex narrative weaves together scientific concepts, speculation on human nature, and the potential consequences of contact with an advanced extraterrestrial civilization.
assistant