WARNING!

This website contains spoilers for Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary.
It is recommended you read the book before exploring this site.

#205 V̶+I

Ryland, being an intelligent spacefarer, likes to keep hydrated. Rocky finds this peculiar, noting that Eridians get all the water they need by eating food. Their conversation on this topic ultimately leads to the following memorable exchange:

Grace: “On Earth, we have a scary, deadly creature called a spider. You look like one of those. Just so you know.” 25.165
Rocky: “Good. Proud. I am scary space monster. You are leaky space blob.” 25.166

Several organisms on Earth meet their water needs with minimal or no actual consumption of liquid water.

Jerboas, adorable hopping desert rodents who reside in Africa and Asia, obtain all of their water needs through food. They often dig up and eat roots of desert vegetation, as roots hold a great deal of water. Fennec foxes, famous for their disproportionately large ears (we assure them that we mean this as a compliment), are omnivores who also obtain much of their hydration from prey such as insects, lizards, and eggs.

Animals who drink little or no water often rely upon metabolic water. Sometimes also called oxidation water, this is water created inside the body by the metabolism (or oxidation) of energy-containing molecules.

Migrating birds on non-stop flights rely entirely on metabolic water, and even humans obtain a portion (~8-10%) of our water through metabolic processes. Camels, who most definitely do not store water in their humps (no matter what you heard as a child), can metabolize lipids in their humps to produce water. However, camels can still ingest massive amounts of water at once (up to 30 gallons!) when they do have a drink, therefore landing them squarely in the category of leaky Earth blobs.

Why humans need water so much, question? Inefficient life-forms!

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