Anyone read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir?

[KEV67]

More spoilers:

Spoiler

Grace and Stratt meet a scientist in New Zealand who had the idea of covering the Sahara in cheap solar collectors that would collect enough heat to charge up the astrophage for the space journey. Those numbers seemed to add up. I calculated it would take about five years.

 

It seems odd that astrophage would collect energy from heat and not light. That is not how most stuff in physics works. It also seems pretty unlikely astrophage could crash protons into each other to create neutrinos. They have to accelerate particles to a very great speed to crash sub-particles together at CERN. When trying to crash particles together at fusion research laboratories they have to heat them to to 100,000,000 C. It is only about 6000 C on the surface of the sun. In the book the scientists do not know how the astrophage traps neutrinos, which are very weakly interactive with matter. It would be a bit of a surprise if something could.

 

Disclaimer: I got an A in my O level, but only an E in my A level. I have studied quite a bit of engineering type physics in my academic studies, but I am no expert in particle physics or astrophysics.

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by KEV67

[Brian.]

6 hours ago, KEV67 said:

More spoilers:

 

Grace and Stratt meet a scientist in New Zealand who had the idea of covering the Sahara in cheap solar collectors that would collect enough heat to charge up the astrophage for the space journey. Those numbers seemed to add up. I calculated it would take about five years.

 

It seems odd that astrophage would collect energy from heat and not light. That is not how most stuff in physics works. It also seems pretty unlikely astrophage could crash protons into each other to create neutrinos. They have to accelerate particles to a very great speed to crash sub-particles together at CERN. When trying to crash particles together at fusion research laboratories they have to heat them to to 100,000,000 C. It is only about 6000 C on the surface of the sun. In the book the scientists do not know how the astrophage traps neutrinos, which are very weakly interactive with matter. It would be a bit of a surprise if something could.

 

Disclaimer: I got an A in my O level, but only an E in my A level. I have studied quite a bit of engineering type physics in my academic studies, but I am no expert in particle physics or astrophysics.

 

Can I suggest you use spoiler tags going forward as it’s very easy for someone to inadvertently read something they don’t want. Ta.

[KEV67]

The science is pretty good, notwithstanding. In fact, it is exceptionally good. It has physics; it has chemistry; it has biology. One thing I do like is that given the premise of astrophage, the science around it is consistent. I never like it when after the basic lore of a fantasy / sci-fi / comic-strip has been established, the rules of that world are violated.

[KEV67]

There is a good bit towards the end, which makes me think even more that Ryan Gosling is the wrong man for the job. I imagine him more as looking like this.

 

Clark Duke

[KEV67]

It was a pretty good book and well plotted. It is a holiday read. I doubt Harold Bloom would have admitted it to the Western Canon, but it is an enjoyable read. I think the plot is original but I am not a big enough afficionado (check spelling later) of science fiction to know. It is good on actual science.