In 1974, two chemists, Mario Molina and Frank Sherwood Rowland, discovered the potential for a few commonly-used chemicals to deplete the fragile layer of gas in the atmosphere that protects life on Earth from the damaging UV rays emitted by the sun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What they found we know to be the ozone layer,\u00a0the thing standing between Earth and the harmful radiation from the sun that disrupt ecosystems worldwide and threatening the end of life as we know it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until 1985 that British Antarctic Survey scientists Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner, and Jonathan Shanklin confirmed their fears when they found a roughly 7 million square mile hole in that protective layer, where the ozone had depleted by about two-thirds of its original thickness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The so-called ozone hole continued to rapidly expand, and it became clear that if nothing were done, humanity would suffer years of increased cancer, ecosystem collapse, supply chain disruption, and eventually face extinction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So scientists of the world came together to advocate for the end of chlorofluorocarbons, which are man-made chemicals found in common appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 1987 Montreal Protocol was the outcome of their efforts, an international treaty that phased out the use of CFCs and ensured the world would continue to enjoy protection from the catastrophic effects of the sun\u2019s raw radiation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took them two years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The ozone layer continues to heal, expected to return to completely normal levels by the mid-2060s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saved by science, humanity owes its current existence to the researchers who found a way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Project Hail Mary<\/em> is another inspiring story that captures the determination and cooperation of humanity. Fictional, of course, but its themes deeply resonate with our current world. Humanity can still be saved. We just have to work together.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead of unchecked climate change, the environmental disaster facing the scientists of Project Hail Mary is the exponential dimming of the sun, whose power is being sapped away by spacefaring microbes called astrophage.\u00a0<\/p>\n We follow Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, a former molecular biologist who is drawn back into research when his theories of extraterrestrial life make him the best candidate to help Earth solve the astrophage problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n Grace is a world-class biologist, but the expression of his intelligence is unconventional. He is often scatterbrained, goofy yet endearingly resilient, and stubborn to a fault. Even in the book, it felt like he was meant to be played by Ryan Gosling, whose befuddled charm has seen him shine in comedic roles like Ken from Barbie <\/em>and the bumbling private eye Holland March from The Nice Guys<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The film leaves behind the jargon-filled physics hypotheticals in favor of the cutesy charm of adorable space aliens.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n It almost feels like Andy Weir, best known for the 2014 hit The Martian, <\/em>wrote the book with Gosling in mind, as they were in talks to adapt the book for the silver screen even before it came out in May 2021. While this is still unconfirmed, the film was most certainly built around Gosling, who not only stars as Grace but was also heavily involved in its development as a producer.<\/p>\n The story is presented through an engaging non-linear narrative, as the present-day amnesiac Grace wakes up on a spaceship in an entirely different solar system, while slowly remembering the worldwide efforts to save humanity that propelled him so far from home. An effective form in film and writing, it helps to enrich the parallel narratives as context frames and reframes the events of each story.\u00a0<\/p>\n The book is very similar to The Martian<\/em>, relying heavily on creative scientific problem-solving to drive the drama of the narrative. The film, on the other hand, is a wondrous space adventure, leaving behind the jargon-filled physics hypotheticals in favor of the cutesy charm of adorable space aliens.\u00a0<\/p>\n What results is a movie that\u2019s more Wall-E<\/em> than Interstellar<\/em>, with a heart-warming message of hope and cooperation.<\/p>\n The titular project is humanity\u2019s last-ditch effort to save itself in a world that is running out of time. It is led by former European Space Agency administrator Eva Stratt, played by Sandra H\u00fcller, in an austere performance that is given a bit more warmth than in the book, but still functions as a stark reminder of the desperate situation Earth is facing.\u00a0<\/p>\n The project is a shot in the cosmic dark, and if it fails, the astrophage will eventually consume all of the sun\u2019s energy, with humanity freezing to death long before that.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, after a few narrative leaps, Grace is sent to Tau Ceti, the only star in the galaxy seemingly unaffected by the astrophage.\u00a0<\/p>\n It is here that he runs into Rocky, an alien from the planet Erid-40, who has come to Tau Ceti because his planet\u2019s star is also rapidly dimming.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rocky himself is an impressive blend of masterful puppetry and voice work by James Ortiz, who brings the adorable spider-like alien to life. It\u2019s quite a feat to make an arachnid-shaped rock evoke such strong emotions without expressions or even a face to emote with. He is effortlessly agile and relentlessly enthusiastic, pairing well with Gosling\u2019s exasperated, slightly scrambled performance.<\/p>\n They have the dynamic of an exhausted father and a toddler experiencing a constant sugar high, both of whom just happen to be world-class scientists. This dynamic is also a main focus in the book, but the film centers on the interplay between them rather than the Apollo 13 style of creative scientific problem solving in the novel.<\/p>\n This is no surprise, as human-alien interactions are much more engaging on film than mental math and intricate physics calculations. Still, it would have been nice to see a little more scientific magic, something that The Martian<\/em> adaptation balanced quite effectively.<\/p>\n Similarly, the more radical concepts from the book, like nuking Antarctica to keep the planet warm, or covering the Sahara with solar panels to power the Hail Mary spaceship, are cut from the story. This is in service of keeping the film a relatively tight, family-friendly excursion, but unfortunately, it dampens the real-world parallels and sheer power of human cooperation displayed in the almost 500-page book.<\/p>\n Even so, these are minor nitpicks. It\u2019s an unfair task to compare books to movies, like comparing apples to \u2026 movies. Project Hail Mary succeeds where it counts, successfully capturing the wonder of the novel with minimal sacrifices.<\/p>\n Most of all, it\u2019s refreshing to see a movie that champions the power of science for all, reminding us that the pale blue dot we call home is fragile and must be protected at all costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Indypendent<\/strong>\u00a0is a New York City-based\u00a0newspaper<\/a>,\u00a0website and\u00a0weekly\u00a0radio show<\/a>. All of our work is\u00a0made possible by\u00a0readers like you. During this holiday season, please consider making\u00a0a\u00a0recurring or one-time\u00a0donation<\/a>\u00a0today or\u00a0subscribe<\/a>\u00a0to our monthly print edition and get every copy sent straight to your home.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n