Project Hail Mary (2021)
In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O’Brien, discuss the novel Project Hail Mary (2021) by Andy Weir.
Premise:
Set in the near future, it centers on school-teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace, who wakes up from a coma afflicted with amnesia. He gradually remembers that he was sent to the Tau Ceti solar system, 12 light-years from Earth, to find a means of reversing a solar dimming event that could cause the extinction of humanity. The story follows two storylines, each told chronologically, starting with the story on board the spacecraft Hail Mary where Ryland Grace regains his memory in bursts. This story is frequently intercut with flashbacks revealing earlier events leading up to the launch of the Hail Mary
Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on BiodefenseĀ here.
Project Hail Mary Ratings:
- Relevance to Commission Recs: 4.5/5
- Scientific Accuracy: 4.5/5
- Scenario Development: 5/5
- Entertainment Value: 4.5/5
- Success of the Imagination or Creativity: 5/5
- Shock/Surprise Value: 4/5
- Government Policy: 3.5/5
- Portrayal by Actors: 4.5/5
- Direction: 4.5/5
- Production: 4/5
- Overall Average Score: 4.4/5
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About the podcast
Podcasts evolve. So do viruses and other biological threats. In response, the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at Atlantic Council has taken its examination of scenarios involving biological weapons, accidents, and naturally occurring pandemics to the next level and created The Biollywood Podcast. In this podcast, we talk about biological threats and the popular culture media they appear in.
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The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of US biodefense and recommends changes to policy and law that strengthen national biodefense while optimizing biodefense resources.