Project Hail Mary Discussion

[Retros_x]

And of course his own work is full of political and social commentary that he doesn’t seem to have noticed, such as the value of large well-funded government space agencies, evidence-based scientific research and policy, well-implemented and rigorously tested incremental technological development, or international cooperation and diplomacy to solve a huge global crisis, all of which he presumably thinks are good things. It wouldn’t be the first time that an unreflective author hasn’t examined their own views or how they might be evident in their writing.

I find it always so weird when well-spoken people assume they can write/act with "politics removed" not realizing their own deeds are full of politics. Its such an easy bias to overcome and I always wrongly assume that educated people know about it.

 

[Ryujin]

Hmm. I'd like to see the maths on how long his trip would take from Earth's perspective, assuming his ship didn't reach full light speed. Because he told the kiddies that the sun would be eaten in 30 years... and that's cutting it pretty close.

?It wouldn't be a straightforward calculation as it would be continuous acceleration, to a turn-over point, and then constant deceleration to the destination. It wouldn't be too difficult to work it out, if that was all, as you could just find an average speed. The problem is that speed based time dilation isn't linear. It increased the closer you get to the speed of light. That math is beyond my experience.

 

[Clint_L]

I find it always so weird when well-spoken people assume they can write/act with "politics removed" not realizing their own deeds are full of politics. Its such an easy bias to overcome and I always wrongly assume that educated people know about it.

I don't think he assume that at all - it is very clear that PHM, for instance, has political implications, which is why it has been attacked by some conservative groups. I took him to be suggesting that he wasn't a fan of using using his art to make overtly politcal statements, which I get, especially in the current American climate where it seems like everyone wants to argue politics, all the time.

 

[nyvinter]

I don't think he assume that at all - it is very clear that PHM, for instance, has political implications, which is why it has been attacked by some conservative groups. I took him to be suggesting that he wasn't a fan of using using his art to make overtly politcal statements, which I get, especially in the current American climate where it seems like everyone wants to argue politics, all the time.

Weird to make that argument on a podcast where the host froths his mouth every time he sees a woman or a black character which if you look at the thumbnails is every video.

So I think Weir is just doing that whole "my POV is common sense, politics when it goes against that".

 

[Morrus]

I find it always so weird when well-spoken people assume they can write/act with "politics removed" not realizing their own deeds are full of politics. Its such an easy bias to overcome and I always wrongly assume that educated people know about it.

What they mean is "other peoples' politics".

 

[Vael]

I find it always so weird when well-spoken people assume they can write/act with "politics removed" not realizing their own deeds are full of politics. Its such an easy bias to overcome and I always wrongly assume that educated people know about it.

I'd say, since I hear this primarily from straight white men ... they're too used to being the default option to notice that that is a political stance. I'm queer, my existence is political. Any media I create is inherently political. It's like talking to centrists that get annoyed about the politics of the left and right ... that house you're in is glass, buddy.

 

[Morrus]

My previous post aside, let's not turn this into a general thread about politics please, folks. The topic is Project Hail Mary. Thanks!

 

[The Firebird]

I saw the film recently. I thought it was good but I didn't respond to it as well as I've seen a lot of people. I suppose, the "dude befriends nonhuman little guy" concept feels old to me? Not least because The Mandalorian did it so recently.

I enjoyed the earnestness of the film which is generally something I look for. But I think the approach undercut it for me because it felt manufactured. The alien species felt not very alien, designed carefully to appeal to the human desire to care for and protect children, pets, &c. I felt like I was seeing the puppetmaster, seeing past the veil, if that makes sense.

Then, the plot was pretty fantastical and lacked the plausibility, and therefore groundedness, of The Martian.

The cinematography was quite nice and Gosling's performance was excellent.



To add--I liked the Martian quite a bit, but something about Weir's style of scifi feels stuck in the past, in the Sagan-era vision of exploration and a galactic community. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but something more...visionary, or in line with current political and technological trends? Something about it doesn't work for me.