‘Project Hail Mary’ demonstrates how intellectual humility can be a guiding force for scientists and astronauts

Curiosity and an openness to new ideas help Ryland Grace, the movie’s protagonist, navigate new discoveries about life in the universe.

By: Deana L. Weibel, Grand Valley State University , The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 31, 2026

Words: 1,253

Last Updated: 4 months ago

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By Deana L. Weibel, Grand Valley State University

Early in Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s science fiction blockbuster “Project Hail Mary,” middle school teacher Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, is tasked by an international coalition to uncover the biology of a strange microbe known as an “astrophage” that has been absorbing energy from an ever-dimming Sun.

Grace is a molecular biologist by training, but his controversial ideas and overconfident attitude have …

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