Life Among the Stars
**Mild spoilers for Project Hail Mary**
With the release of Project Hail Mary in theaters this past weekend, I feel a little obligated to write about it. This is partially because it’s a sci-fi story about microbial life draining away the sun’s energy, but also because I adore the book and really loved the movie’s adaptation of it. Unfortunately, Andy Weir crafted such an incredible narrative rooted in legitimate science that I’m at a loss for things to analyze and critique.
I’m certain that others better versed in physics and space exploration than I am have their own opinions, but as a virologist I can’t really take umbrage with the biological systems created Weir’s work. In fact, I only have one nitpick about the microbiology in Project Hail Mary and it’s the name given to sun-sucking microbe: astrophage. Astrophage mean “star eater” in Latin and the protagonist gives it that name because it uses the energy of stars to reproduce. However, in microbiology, phage (short for bacteriophage) refers specifically to viruses that infect bacterial cells to reproduce. It’s estimated that there are >1031 bacteriophages on Earth, which is more than every other living organism on the planet combined. Since astrophage is likened to other microbial species, such as mold or algae, I would have preferred not to include phage in the name. On the other hand, bacteriophages, despite their ubiquity, aren’t often recognized in pop culture so it’s nice to see them acknowledged. Like I said, an extremely minor quibble.
I’m a book girlie and since I don’t have a lot to say about Project Hail Mary – other than read the book and go see the movie! – I instead want to bring attention to another book: Life on Other Planets: A Memoir of Finding My Place in the Universe by Aomawa Shields. Dr. Shields holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrobiology and currently runs a research program at the University of California Irvine. Her research uses computer modeling and NASA data to explore climate and habitability of small planets.
Dr. Shields published her book, Life on Other Planets, in 2023. The book describes her journey as an astrobiologist and actor and the ways in which her identify as a Black woman influenced both. I’m usually more of a fiction reader but I absolutely loved this book. I found it resonant and moving, marrying her experiences on Earth with her science in the stars. I cannot recommend this book enough for its science and its humanity. If you enjoyed Project Hail Mary and want to learn more about astrobiology, Life on Other Planets delivers that information through an inspiring, personal narrative.
Astrobiology is such a cool field and NASA has an entire webpage dedicated to it. I, personally, find it unlikely that in the vastness of the entire universe Earth is the only home to life. Obviously we haven’t found any other living organisms outside our own world, but that’s what astrobiology is dedicated to finding and understanding. The more we understand space, other planets, and even the evolution of ourselves, the closer we become to making first contact.
