Project Hail Mary

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. What is the Petrova line?

2. What is Ryland Grace’s profession, indicated in a flashback?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Explain the controversial theory that led to Grace being widely discredited.

2. Why does Grace insist on returning to the lab to work on the Astrophage problem? Why does Stratt think he returns? What does this tell us about Grace’s character?

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. Who are Larry, Curly, and Moe?

2. What does Grace accidentally accomplish while he’s trying to figure out how the Astrophage find Venus?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is the significance of the way Grace is transported to the Chinese aircraft carrier?

2. What are some of the things Grace has named so far in the story? What is the historical significance of naming in terms of discovery and scientific progress?

Paired Resource

“Sending Life to the Stars”

• This article from the UCSB Current explores the feasibility of sending life into space. Professors from UCSB discuss sending tardigrades (water bears) into space and reimagine the technology it would take to reach the next solar system, such as using light as a propellant to reach relativistic speeds.
• This article’s information connects to the themes of The Justifiable Use of Advanced Science for Morally Complex Purposes and The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Danger of Assumptions.
• How does this article address the scientific feasibility of interstellar travel? What are some scientific concepts or theories that support or challenge the plausibility of the Hail Mary mission?

Chapters 9-12

Reading Check

1. What does Rocky look like?

2. What does Grace use to translate Rocky’s language?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Explain the confusion over the metal “26” sphere. What does this reflect about The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Dangers of Assumptions?

2. Why does Rocky want Grace to watch him sleep?

3. What does the courtroom scene demonstrate about Stratt? How does this scene directly affect the surrounding events?

Chapters 13-16

Reading Check

1. Why was Rocky the only survivor on the Blip-A?

2. In the flashback, why are they setting nuclear bombs off in Antarctica?

3. How do Eridians eat?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Compare and contrast Bob Redell and François Leclerc and their contributions. What do they illustrate about The Justifiable Use of Advanced Science for Morally Complex Purposes?

2. How do Grace and Rocky illustrate The Importance of Cultural Relativism in Collaboration in these chapters?

Paired Resource

“The Fermi Paradox”

• The galaxy has had ample time to produce life, so why don’t we see any? This puzzle is known as The Fermi Paradox. This article from the SETI Institute explores the paradox, examining various theories for the apparent absence of alien life and offering insights into the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
• Students can discuss The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Danger of Assumptions and The Importance of Cultural Relativism in Collaboration in connection with the article.
• How does The Fermi Paradox connect to the story? What questions do Grace and Rocky discuss similar to The Fermi Paradox?

Chapters 17-20

Reading Check

1. What is the plan for trying to find an Astrophage predator?

2. Why does Rocky have so much fuel?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does the risky plan to collect an Astrophage predator tie into the theme of The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Danger of Assumptions?

2. What goes wrong after collecting the sample?

3. How does Rocky save Grace, and how does Grace attempt to return the favor? What are the implications regarding Grace’s character?

Paired Resource

“Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary and the Soft, Squishy Science of Language”

• In this article from Ars Technica, Lee Hutchinson consults experts to examine the difference between communication and language and discusses the challenge of achieving higher-level understanding between humans and aliens.
• This article connects to the themes The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Danger of Assumptions and The Importance of Cultural Relativism in Collaboration.
• Based on this article, how realistic is the evolution of language and communication between Rocky and Grace in the story? What are the assumptions made by Grace or Weir about how Eridian language is structured, and how is it streamlined in the novel? What role does nonverbal communication play in the story?

Chapters 21-25

Reading Check

1. What does Grace name the Astrophage predator?

2. What disaster happens nine days before launch?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What consequences does Grace encounter from recklessness in these chapters? How does this affect his confidence when it comes to the nitrogen problem?

2. Why is Grace on the Hail Mary mission? What does this tell us about his character development between then and now?

Paired Resource

Rapid Evolution: Change in Real Time

• This 2-minute video discusses the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
• Through connected discussion, readers might address the themes of The Justifiable Use of Advanced Science for Morally Complex Purposes and The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Danger of Assumptions.
• How does antibiotic-resistant bacteria relate to Grace and Rocky’s plan? What do you think could go wrong?

Chapters 26-30

Reading Check

1. What is Grace’s situation at the end of the novel?

2. What happens to Rocky?

3. How is Earth saved?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How do the Taumoeba escape again?

2. What ultimately are the factors that seal Earth’s and Erid’s fate?

3. When faced with the choice to save himself and return to Earth, or to save Rocky and the Eridians but die himself, what does Grace decide? Why is this significant?

Paired Resource

“An Interview With Andy Weir”

• This interview discusses Project Hail Mary’s themes and science, the author’s optimism about humanity and the future, and the relatability of “unlikely hero” protagonists.
• The resource connects to the themes of Survival, Sacrifice, and the Utilitarian Good; The Justifiable Use of Advanced Science for Morally Complex Purposes; and The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Danger of Assumptions.
• How did hearing the author’s perspective affect your understanding or experience with Project Hail Mary? In this interview, Weir says that “for Ryland Grace, it’s not a story of him trying to survive. It’s much more about finding a way to solve this problem that has afflicted our sun.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain.

Recommended Next Reads

The Martian by Andy Weir

• American astronaut Mark Watney is accidentally stranded on Mars in 2035. Using his skills as a botanist and the limited resources on hand, Watney attempts to survive on a planet that is not designed to support human life.
• Shared themes include Survival, Sacrifice, and the Utilitarian Good and The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Danger of Assumptions.
• Shared topics include space, science, astrophysics, isolation, survival, problem solving, critical thinking, existentialism, and resilience.
• Shared symbols and motifs include Extreme Competence Under Stress; Food and Food’s Ability to Comfort; and Naming, Nomenclature, and Written Characters. 
• The Martian on SuperSummary

Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang

• This novella follows a linguist appointed by the US Army to communicate with extraterrestrial life. This story became the source text for the 2016 film Arrival.
• Shared themes include The Role of Speculation in Discovery and the Danger of Assumptions and The Importance of Cultural Relativism in Collaboration.
• Shared topics include extraterrestrial life, xenolinguistics (study of alien languages), science, problem solving, survival, causality, grief and loss, and cause-and-effect.
• Stories of Your Life and Others on SuperSummary