What did Wenjie’s joke mean?
Throughout 3 Body Problem, Wenjie has been so disgusted with humanity that she’s felt confident—smug, even—in her decision to invite aliens to invade Earth. But certain events, including her daughter’s death and the San-Ti’s unsettling declaration that humans are “bugs,” seem to make her reconsider.
Alone in her home, she calls out to the San-Ti: “I still have an idea or two left in me. And centuries from now, there may well be a fair fight… or no fight at all.” Soon after, she speaks with Saul, telling him a long joke about God and Einstein, and then—with a very meaningful look—tells him “Jokes are important. We wouldn’t survive without them. Don’t you agree?”
