All About Astrophage
What Astrophage uses to travel through space.
What is Carbon Dioxide? How does it affect our Earth?
The contrast between Stratt’s and Grace’s personalities.
What is Stratt is serious and strict while Grace is kind and curious. Would Stratt still be a good leader if she wasn’t as rude and strict?
The thing Grace puts on after he vomits in his shirt.
What is Yao’s extra jumpsuit? What does his reaction to zero-gravity tell us about his preparation for the mission?
The name of the Russian scientist who discovered how Astrophage stores its energy. (First name acceptable)
Who is Dimitri Komorov? What does his personality change around Grace tell us about his character?
The name of the friendly guard who helps Grace during his lab days.
Who is Steve? How important for the plot is it to show how people uninvolved with current events interact with Grace (and likely other scientists) during this apocalyptic situation?
The name of the light Astrophage emits.
What is Petrova Light? How does Grace use this to communicate with the aliens?
The dilemma Stratt has when choosing crew members for the journey.
What is insanity vs comas? Which option would you have chosen if you were her and why?
The name of the trait that Grace has that allowed him to survive.
What is ‘coma resistance’? If, presumably, the other two on–board had it too, why did they still die?
The name Grace gives to the alien species.
What is Eridians? Do you think they are truly friendly or communicating with him and just pretending for their own personal gain?
The reason the diplomat wanted to keep Grace out of the loop on Project Hail Mary.
What is because he wasn’t well known beforehand? Do you think they should have trusted Stratt’s judgement before judging him?
The name of the star unaffected by Astrophage.
What is Tau Ceti? Explain the lifecycle of Astrophage in our solar system.
The city and country of Stratt’s base of operations.
What is Geneva, Switzerland? Do you think Stratt’s absolute authority is truly necessary at a time like this?
The reason Stratt uses information from amateur scientists instead of professionals.
What is local experimentation? Would you rather have used their data, or waited for the professional scientists to get this data themselves?
The thing the Chinese scientist was accused of doing.
What is having spies? What does this tell us about the stress of the situation?
What Grace’s IR goggles were made of.
What is the LCD output of a camera with tape? Do you think he should have asked for professional goggles or was time so limited this was the best idea?
The approximate time it takes for a well-fed Astrophage population to double in size.
What is 8 days? How does this exponential growth rate dictate the level of panic on Earth?
The amount of people Stratt split the group up into.
What is 5 people? Why do you think she didn’t just invite everyone from the day before?
The group Grace named The Beetles after.
What are the Beatles? What does him naming them ‘silly’ names tell us about his character?
The two people Grace called his best when experimenting.
Who were the two Mongolian brother engineers? What impact do you think the unnamed background characters had toward the mission?
The discovery that led to Grace being flown out to these world leaders.
What is their reproduction? Do you think he still would’ve found this if he had missed the fourth set of Astrophage?
The name of the infrared light connecting the Sun to Venus.
What is the Petrova Line? Why was the discovery of the Petrova Line a red flag that Astrophage was more than just a natural phenomenon?
How Stratt threatens the Swiss scientist.
What is threatening to call her bosses and having the police make her work for Stratt themselves? Do you think this is reasonable or too far?
The research done that led to Stratt choosing the coma route.
What is Russian research on astronauts going insane? What route do you think Stratt would have chosen without this research?
The names of the other two deceased on board.
Who were Yao and Ilyukhina? How much easier do you think Grace would have had his job if they were alive and why?
The topic on which Grace wrote a scientific paper that led to Stratt seeking him out.
What is Non-Water Based Life? Why did the scientific community originally not take it seriously, and what is the irony in it?