This excerpt explains that the exact beginning of Trisolaris’s shift from steady technological growth to explosive advancement remains uncertain. Scholars disagree over whether the acceleration began before the Crisis Era or during the Deterrence Era, but they broadly agree on several likely causes.

The first cause is the profound influence of Earth civilization. After the first sophon reached Earth, human culture flowed into Trisolaris and changed Trisolaran society. Human values helped weaken the rigid totalitarian structures that had limited scientific progress, encouraging freer thought and greater respect for individuals.

These ideological changes may have created a Trisolaran transformation comparable to a Renaissance, producing major leaps in science and technology. The excerpt emphasizes that this may have been a glorious period in Trisolaran history, though its specific details remain unknown.

A second possible cause is more speculative: Trisolaris may have lied about the results of its sophon exploration missions. Before the sophons were blinded, they may have discovered another civilization, gained technological knowledge from it, and learned more about the dark forest state of the universe. If true, this would explain why Trisolaris came to surpass Earth in every field of knowledge.