Neil deGrasse Tyson Confronts Andy Weir on the Science of Project Hail Mary

Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. https://T-Mobile.com/HomeInternet What if a microscopic alien lifeform was slowly eating our sun? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice sit down with Andy Weir, the bestselling author of Project Hail Mary, for a deep dive into designing aliens, science fiction, and science behind the book (and the movie.) Andy traces his journey from self-publishing The Martian to watching Ridley Scott bring it to the big screen, before turning to his latest novel, Project Hail Mary, now a major film starring Ryan Gosling. What if the sun started to dim due to an alien microorganism? Neil and Andy dig into just how scientifically feasible that actually is. We unpack Rocky, the film's alien co-lead, and Andy reveals how he built Rocky's entire biology around a real exoplanet in the 40 Eridani star system, a planet that was later found not to exist. How would the planet’s environment impact alien life’s morphology, technology, and culture? Could an alien species achieve interstellar travel with just Newtonian physics? Plus, why does Andy always seem to write stories where the protagonist is so isolated in space? They also explore the storytelling mechanics that make the reluctant, unqualified, genuinely scared hero so compelling, why Andy cut a scene where humanity nukes Antarctica to trigger controlled global warming, and what it means that neither species in the story is more technologically advanced across the board. Andy closes with hard-won advice for aspiring writers. Keep Looking Up! Thanks to our Patrons RT, Matthew Wessel, Tyler Walker, nuclear_detergent, Ryan Buchanan, The Lord of the Ganja, Tyrone Morgan, Ciara Steinert, Fabian De Rossi, Travis Anders, Dee El Dee, Lazzarous, Moshe Sedero, Sebastian Heineberg, David, Casey Sizeland, Anna, Simon Franklin, Chris Carley, ohhdontdoit, hilde, Jim Niemann, Jesse Lee, Sri Harsha Chennavajjala, grbac6800, Mike, Aviad Pineles, salima makitina, Gero Finke, Nick Charles, David Shapiro, Diyako Kochar Taymur, David Kunz, Bob, Doug, Aviral Bhatnagar, Matthew Sims, Squibb Thompson, Theta544, D00gster x702, Kyle Sullivan, John Hermansen, April Stearns, Brian Eastwood, jassim tazi, Kassious, Gustavo Rincon, Reloadown, Tom Kavanaugh, Kay 1, George Grimes, Barbara Lewis, Davey Maclaren, Blake Muccini, Sydney, MISFIT, Mohammed Nadeem Amin, JB, rasma, Chris, Glenn Whelan, Elizabeth Grey, Eli Hadden, Elias Holguin, Darrell Thayer, Jason, Shayla Hamady, Bradley Martin, jamie jarrard, Robert Douglas Brown, Michael Johnston, Kristine Nixon, VirusJTG, Briana Bartlett, Tim Rea, Leo Carrasco, Christopher Friedline, belle g, Carver Nevling, Emily Winter, Draxontheyeen, Leslie, Bombed Blonde, Shadow, Brian, Sam Smith, Brianna Smith, Evan Q, Anzhr, Jolo, Austin Applegate, Bryan Smarkola, Steven Patterson, Femke Seynaeve, Bee, Jeffrey Macris, Stan Ginsel, Bob M, Eric, and Yet Another Patron for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Andy Weir 04:46 - Project Hail Mary 08:40 - The Exoplanet of the Eridians 14:19 - Rocky’s Ecolocation 22:11 - Rocky’s Partner 24:23 - Talking to Rocky 26:50 - Alone in Space 29:39 - A New Hollywood Alien 30:51 - Xenonite 33:33 - What Got Cut 35:41 - Neil’s Critique 37:04 - Closing Thoughts & Advice for Writers Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson