Science Facts
Beanbags that explore interesting scientific topics in Project Hail Mary.
I start with what makes me happy. I like science. 02.116
#2
The Petrova line isn't real, but there are real astronomical instruments that can detect infrared light at 25.984 microns.
#8
Venus lacks an intrinsic magnetic field, and that’s weird.
#13
Acceleration due to gravity on Earth varies depending upon location, but you can’t fault Ryland’s teacher brain for sticking with two significant figures.
#19
Amaterasu is not a real solar probe, but it is the name of an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray.
#25
Humans have sent space missions to Venus since the 1960s, though many early attempts ended in failure.
#32
The habitable zone, or Goldilocks zone, can vary in size and position for different types of stars.
#40
Argon is useful for science but a poor choice for breathing.
#46
Stratt's desire to protect Earth from extraterrestrial contamination partially reflects our own modern planetary protection efforts.
#52
Cesium-137 is a radioactive isotope which produces gamma rays hazardous to many species yet apparently ineffective when studying the nature of Astrophage.
#58
Spectroscopy is a valuable tool in understanding both Astrophage and the wider cosmos.
#64
Amateur astronomers contribute valuable data both within Project Hail Mary and outside of it.
#69
Tau Ceti is a nearby solar analog star with a number of unconfirmed exoplanet candidates.
#75
WISE 0855–0714 is a super-spreader of Astrophage infection despite being a sub-brown dwarf object.
#80
EVA suit design is an important consideration for any cylinder-retrieving space explorer.
#86
Rocky breathes ammonia, and Ryland has good reasons to be taken aback by this.
#91
Astronomy across the electromagnetic spectrum deepens our understanding of the cosmos.
#93
The Hail Mary's lack of shower and laundry facilities mirrors the situation on the ISS.
#96
Panspermia is a controversial hypothesis that leads to fun storytelling possibilities.
#105
Xenon is a noble gas that can, in fact, form a number of chemical compounds.
#111
40 Eridani is a triple star system whose planets exist, for now, only in the imagination.
#116
Echolocation and passive sonar are different but related ways of sensing an environment.
#121
Ryland speculates that Eridians may have a form of photographic memory.
#126
Astrophage apparently store energy using neutrinos.
#136
The Petrova wavelength used in the book is not arbitrary.
#138
Pair production is a physical process by which energy is converted into matter.
#143
Antarctica was once home to a temperate forest which is, weirdly, why Leclerc has to nuke it.
#150
Eridian circulatory systems operate quite differently from those of terrestrial organisms.
#156
3-D Printing is used aboard the Hail Mary as well as the International Space Station.
#160
DNA splicing in the case of Shapiro's work likely refers to genetic engineering.
#165
Methane is found in the atmospheres of worlds both near and far.
#170
Astrophage have an extra step or variant in their Krebs cycle.
#179
The Deep Space Network is used to track and communicate with space missions.
#182
Eridians and some terrestrial creatures hear a different range of frequencies than humans.
#185
When Ryland calls an orbit ugly, he probably just means it’s a bit eccentric.
#189
Ryland and Rocky wonder how evolution resulted in a similar speed of thought for humans and Eridians.