What the 'Hail Mary Project' got right and wrong about astrophysics

An astrophysicist at Northeastern University has discovered that Ryan Gosling's new sci-fi film will be held under a microscope.

Astronomer says Hail Mary right and wrong about astrophysics

The science fiction film directed by Ryan Gosling puts science in the center of the frame.An astrophysicist breaks down whether this space adventure remains under scrutiny.

"The Hail Mary Project," the Ryan Gosling-led adaptation of Andy Weir's best-selling science fiction novel, is being praised for putting science into science fiction.

While aliens, sun-drenched microbes, and the interstellar universe are all part of the story of a scientist sent on a suicidal mission to save Earth, the film's premise isn't afraid to delve into the astronomy that makes most people's heads spin.

But how accurate is the science presented in "Project Mary's Tail"?Does truth fall from fiction?Astronomer Jacqueline McCleary said people watching the film might be surprised by what the film does.

McCleary, an associate professor of physics at Northeastern University, said the Hail Mary project "does a lot of justice to concepts in astrophysics, orbital mechanics and even spacecraft engineering." Overall, he said, while the film delves into fiction and pushes current scientific boundaries, its scientific underpinnings ground the story.

"This particular story is close enough to be exciting and, more importantly, enduring," McCleary said."It's grammar in itself, but it's readable."

The basic idea of ​​the "Hail Mary Project" is, ironically, where the shark jumps, McCleary noted.

The film follows scientist Ryland Grace (Gosling), who wakes up from a coma to find he is the last surviving member of a mission that has traveled to another solar system to find out why Earth's sun is dim.It turns out that the cause is a sun-sucking pathogen called astrophase that has infected other stars, causing ice ages on nearby planets.Grace and her team members, who did not survive the coma, are sent to a nearby star, Tau Ceti, to investigate how they can resist the Astrophage.

McCleary said that a small piece that looks like an astrophage can absorb sunlight or live in the atmosphere of the sun.The organism's behavior is based on how rReal microbes absorb sunlight and use energy, but "there are many orders of magnitude differences between what microbes can store ... and what sunlight actually produces energy," McCleary said.

The energy emitted by the sun is 1026 joules per second, which is a million times more than the annual energy consumption of the earth in a few seconds.Not to mention that the Astrophagus must withstand the extreme conditions of the Sun's atmosphere at over 5 million degrees Fahrenheit to absorb this energy.

Astrophase aside, one of the film's weirder science fiction elements is also one of its more admirable.

During her mission, Grace encounters an unlikely ally: an alien whose species faces the same existential threat.Rocky, as Grace calls him due to his rock appearance, becomes the film's second protagonist as he and Grace work together.

Although it's only a guess, McCleary says Rocky's description is likely more accurate than many sci-fi aliens based solely on "how weird Rocky is."

"People are now starting to talk about sentient plasma as a potential life form," McCleary said."The idea of ​​a completely different biology, a completely different body chemistry adapted to different conditions is very clever."

Rocky doesn't even use what people would consider speech, but instead communicates with musical notes.Unlike Star Wars, where members of different species can understand each other, Grace and Rocky must first learn to communicate.

McCleary laughs at the idea of ​​a years-long coma for a group that could save scientists' lives — "It's going to hurt your brain" — but the Hail Mary, the spaceship Grace uses to cross the galaxy, is itself a clever extension of the real world, he says.

The ship is designed with both propulsion systems in the back, like a regular rocket, but the front to create gravity, so the crew can live and work in a normal environment.A ship like this has yet to be built, but McCleary said it is based on "conventional, well-accepted physics."

This is because the design uses centrifugal force, which pushes rotating objects away from their center point of rotation.If someone turns quickly in a speeding car and is pushed in one direction, this exerts centrifugal force.

"That's a force, and if it's the right speed, it's not so fast that you feel dizzy, the force you feel pushing you back is like gravity," McCleary said.

For McCleary, the most obvious part of The Hail Mary Project is how to define the depth of scientists in the portrayal of Grace and Rocky.

"We love getting together to solve problems or learn new things about the universe," McCleary said."In this case, for our heroes, it's both. Your willingness to bridge a huge gap and work together to solve basic intellectual problems. That feels right to me."

The Hail Mary Project ultimately remains fiction.It may drift to the outer reaches of reality's orbit but remain bound by science.Despite the film's setbacks, McCleary saw the true value of science fiction storytelling in "The Hail Mary Project," in its sincere attempt to bring astrophysics to life and its sincere appreciation for scientists.

"It exposes people to real scientific ideas who otherwise wouldn't see them," McCleary said."It can still create new scientists."