Project Hail Mary: A Novel

shudder,

“For fifty thousand years, right up to the industrial revolution, human civilization was about one thing and one thing only: food.

“Yes,” he quavers.

stubble

Cool thing about pendulums: The time it takes for one to swing forward and backward—the period—won’t change, no matter how wide it swings. If it’s got a lot of energy, it’ll swing farther and faster, but the period will still be the same.

No, that’s not creepy at all. Being in a spaceship twelve light-years from home and having someone knock on the door is totally normal.

What’s the cube root of eight?” I take a deep breath and speak slowly. “Two times e to the two-i-pi.” “Incorrect. What’s the cube root of eight?” But I wasn’t incorrect. I just wanted to see how smart the computer was. Answer: not very. “Two,” I say. “Correct.”

Thing is, when stupid ideas work, they become genius ideas.

giddy.