reading

Musings on "Death's End" by Cixin Liu by Geoff Kim

I recently wrapped up reading Death's End, the third and final book in Cixin Liu's Three Body Problem series. This series has been an absolute rollercoaster through the realms of hard sci-fi, blending complex scientific concepts with deep philosophical questions about humanity, the universe, and our place within it.

!!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!!

The end?

A Journey Through the Cosmos

Throughout the series, Liu has constantly pushed readers with mind-bending scenarios and thought experiments. From the introduction of the Trisolaran civilisation in the first book to the dark forest theory in the second, each instalment has stretched the limits of conventional sci-fi. Death's End is no exception, taking us even further into the speculative possibilities of advanced technology and cosmic phenomena.

The Ending: A Philosophical Puzzle

As I got closer to the ending of Death's End, I was really hoping for a particular twist: the revelation that the great universe, and the mini-universes within it, were part of an elaborate game. This idea harks back to the virtual reality games introduced in the first book, where characters experienced simulated realities that were almost indistinguishable from the real world.

The actual ending of the series is open to interpretation, which leaves plenty of room for various theories about the true nature of the universe Liu has created. While it doesn’t explicitly confirm my hoped-for twist, I still think the possibility is there. The concept of our universe being a game or simulation is a fascinating one that ties in nicely with many of the themes explored throughout the series.

A Thought-Provoking Legacy

Death's End and the entire Three Body Problem series leave a lasting impression, not just as a gripping narrative but as a profound meditation on the universe and our place within it. The idea that our reality could be part of a game or simulation is a tantalising possibility that continues to spark debate and curiosity.

Reflecting on the series, I’m struck by Liu's ability to weave together science, philosophy, and storytelling in such a compelling way. Whether or not the ending of Death's End confirms my theory, it undoubtedly leaves us with much to ponder about the nature of reality and the limits of human understanding.

For more musings on science fiction and speculative thought, stay tuned to geoff.kim, and join the conversation on our latest episodes of the Naked Tech Podcast.

And it was all yellow… by Geoff Kim

Have you ever had one of those moments where something you've never really thought about much suddenly comes up twice in a row, seemingly out of nowhere? That's what happened to me recently with Paul Gauguin.

It all started when an old friend randomly remarked that the one memory she had of me (from when we hung out in London in the early 2000s) was that Gauguin was my favourite artist. There is every chance that at the time this was true, though I may have been heavily influenced by mum’s penchant for his art, as she often recreated his ‘When will you Marry’ piece.

Coincidence or something deeper? The day after I was reminded of the post-impressionist’s art, I got onto the Yellow chapter of "The Secret Lives of Colour". In it, author St. Clair delves into the fascinating friendship between Vincent Van Gogh and yes, Paul Gauguin, including their time spent living together in a yellow house in the south of France in 1888. Van Gogh even decorated the guest room with paintings of his famed sunflowers in preparation for Gauguin's arrival.

The book continues to surprise and delight and moments like this underscores how synchronicity can shape your thought processes and enjoyment levels of art, whether it be through a painting or a book in the spoken word format.

More of this please, universe.

A painting by Paul Gauguin that shows his friend Vincent Van Gogh painting sunflowers in the post-impressionist style.

The Painter of Sunflowers, 1888 by Paul Gauguin

Colour me curious by Geoff Kim

I began reading/listening to The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St. Clair on my last run for the summer holidays today. This book was the top pick for our office book club and I can see why it’s so highly regarded in the design world.

Aside from being impressed with St. Clair’s well-researched facts on how we perceive colour and how language shapes our relationship with colour, I loved the small nuggets of gold that I previously had not known. Some examples:

  • Steve Jobs was not a fan of White and campaigned against it being the core colour for all their products but Sir Jony Ive won out in the end and settled with ‘shades of Grey’

  • In the 1920s, Elsie de Wolfe invented the profession of interior design and was enamoured by the colour Beige, even if St. Clair kinda calls it “deeply dull”

Speaking of which, do check out Linus Ekenstam’s Midjourney AI generated interior design art and (mostly) his #ThisDoesNotExist hashtag for other creations. 🤯

Colourful example of AI generated interior design #ThisDoesNotExist

Looks like I may have stumbled upon a way to capture all the random thoughts that pop into my head while running and listening. I'll keep documenting them for the book club, just to give them a taste of the marathon of ideas going on in my head.