The light cone fire in Who Are We comes from the description of cosmic physics and astronomy in Liu's novels. This metaphor means that our earth civilization is like a burning fire in the universe. Any information, energy and influence we send out will spread outward in the form of a light cone, which will have a far-reaching impact on other civilizations and our own future.
Specifically, "light cone" is a physical concept, which describes a light beam that starts from an event and propagates in all possible directions. In this concept, light beam can be regarded as a way of information or energy transmission, and its propagation range depends on factors such as light speed and medium. So, when we say "our light cone", we actually mean the range of all the places we can influence and reach.
Who Are We? The meaning of light cone.
The phrase "whose fire we are is the light cone of whose fire" in the novel means that the influence of the earth civilization we live in is unpredictable and uncontrollable. The information and energy we send out may be received by other civilizations, and may also have a far-reaching impact on our own future. This influence may be good or bad, but in any case, we must realize that our existence and behavior will have an impact on the whole universe.
In short, the sentence "We are the light cone where the fire is located" emphasizes our smallness and fragility in the universe, reminding us to be responsible for our actions and minimize the negative impact on other civilizations and the natural environment.