How to Understand an Alien with Andy Weir 

Being that this entire episode is one big spoiler for Andy Weir's new book Project Hail Mary, we want to thank Audible for giving free trials so you can listen to the audio book right now! To get your free 30 day trial visit www.audible.com/eventhorizon or text eventhorizon to 500-500

My dad used to tell me that back in the late 60s he used to watch "The sky at night" with Sir Patrick More. It started a lifetime of curiosity and love of all things space which he passed down to me. I recommend Event Horizon to him about 6 months before he passed early this year. He never had his own RU-vid account so he couldn't subscribe to anything. Nevertheless he did enjoy your Videos and he said he loved the intro music you use right now.My point is your channel appealed to my 76 year old dad and to me 45.Also my son is a subscriber at 24. Really appreciate the effort and work that goes in to each episode. It's also great you can actually show this appreciation directly. Thanks 👍👍

I started watching this video, stopped, ordered the book, read it and absolutely enjoyed it and now I'm back to finish watching this video. It was one of the best books I've ever read. Thank you.

The Egg was such a moving story. Great guest John

I enjoy Weir's boyish enthusiasm for space and writing about it. I tried doing that a few decades ago. Unfortunately, my work schedules and home environment was non-conducive. Of course, I probably would have never graduated beyond an occasionally published pulp writer for Boy's Life! You and Andy Weir have my envy. Best wishes for you both.

Whoops I have fallen into event horizon again

Got 5 minutes into this video then stopped and read the whole book. It’s an excellent story. Probably one of my favorites now. It really reminds me of my other favorite book Dragon’s Egg by Robert l forward.

I just finished _Operation Hail Mary_ and I can't recommend it enough.

Read the new book the other night. Fantastic stuff. I love that he somehow managed to make a story about a star-eating bacteria feel like hard sci-fi.

i just finished this book, straight up, its a bloody great story with a lot of cool concepts, its an awesome read.

Started this episode a month ago and found the book yesterday and finished it today. It was an absolute blast. And thanks for mentioning the Mongolian engineers! Representation!

Still waiting for the Sam Neill episode where you discuss the 1997 cosmic horror film "Event Horizon"

The thought John comforts himself with when he's feeling a little low: "at least we have hydrogen bombs!" 😂 Never change, John!

Just read the book and oh my god it’s the best novel I’ve ever read, never been more fascinated and glued to the page before

This book Project Hail Mary is my number 1 favorite novel ever thank you Andy Wier this book so far is your legacy

I just finished reading the Hail Mary Project and enjoyed it very much... I am no scientist but waded into the concepts presented about propulsion, atmosphere and astro-biology and came away with food for thought. Thanks for featuring Weir and his book... always looking for good sci-fi, especially during stay-in-and-read winter months. Love your interviews... you ask great questions!

I am amazed by just what a keen sense of physical reality Andy Weir possesses. He knows his physics! Also I want a movie based on this book. But must be directed by someone like James Cameron. It would be a masterpiece.

Right on time! I just finished reading Project Hail Mary!!! 👏🏻👏🏻

This was a really REALLY great episode John!

Andy weir is a fantastic author, just like yourself John! Project hail Mary is a great read and I absolutely loved it. Hopefully it'll become a good movie just like the Martian.

Always a pleasure to listen to new episodes. Thank you so much!

Worth resubscribing to Audible for this. Great episode, thanks for Joining Andy. I agree, we are at the ground floor, especially if you consider having an appropriate abundance of heavy elements.

I'll listen while I drift to sleep and dream of the cosmos. Just as well I'll listen while cooking my dinner over fire and drinking one (or two) down while staring at the night sky. I love that you do what you do!!

Just got it on audible can't wait to listen to it at work tomorrow! Great talk as usual good sirs.

Wow. This premise is extremely intriguing. Not only that, it's extremely novel. I never considered an extremophile-like version of space algae farming the galaxies stars and spreading across solar systems.... reducing the strength of the sun's energy just enough to kill off any potential life but not killing the star... There's a lot of amazing little nuances brought up in this interview that really impressed me. The way he developed the alien microbes and their life cycle is amazing. The way he developed the sentient aliens species by envisioning the world its from...from and the magnetosphere, the gravity, the thick atmosphere and the lack of direct sunlight... to build the aliens existence from the ground up is pretty genius. Great video this week JMG. Def gonna scoop this book up asap.

What a delightful human being Andy Weir is, I'm falling more in love with Event Horizon every episode I watch.

Project Hail Mary is a fantastic book. The audiobook is read by a fantastic reader.

I really enjoyed this one, also the sound quality and levels are spot on!! Good quality entertainment here 👍

I had no idea his book was already out! Just finished Artemis, can’t wait to get to this one.

Every time I listen to one of these shows, there is a topic mentioned in passing that I'm not familiar with, and I'm drawn into a new rabbit hole of discovery. This one was 'the epoch of habitability'. Things like that are the nitrous that keeps my engine of creative imagination running at peak output.

Great interview I really enjoyed listening to John and Andy talk about sci-fi. Thanks for the episode! Used the link for Audible thanks.

Not to burst Andy’s bubble, but everyone knows what a ‘Hail Mary’ is, well at least a lot of people in Australia do that is 😉 an excellent episode.

Just finished the book so now I can listen!

I really enjoyed this one. Great job! 👍

loved this episode and questions :D

Interesting interview; great accompanying graphics! Thanks all round. The book's on my Amazon wish list!

Accidentally bumped into the book 1 day after listening to this podcast. Bought it and I reaaally love it after the first 250 pages.

Great interview. I ran out and got the book immediately. JMG is correct that this is Weir's best yet. Really fantastic - the pinnacle of hard sci-fi.

One of the best videos so far John, congratulations really enjoyable. More Andy Weir please sir.

JMG AND Andy Weir?! Now THAT is one exciting link to click in my notifications! Great episode!

The ending needs to change, with Anna pitching audible she sholdn't call John a sellout anymore.

This topic is extremely interesting! The sun eating algae reminds me the Star consuming tick from the *Stellaris*

I often think about how much it’ll suck to not know how crazy the future will be but after recently experiencing my first family death (grandmother) i dont think i could bare watching ALL my loved ones and potential future loved ones die over and over for the next millennia. Plus if you want to live for another thousand just to see how things turn out, you’re just going to want to live another thousand to see how things turn out again. It’ll be never ending.

What a great conversation! Thanks!

I read book The Martian before the movie was made. I will definitely check out this book, this is such a great concept! I can totally see this being adapted into a movie.

What fascinating concepts! Ironically I'm currently reading the Salvagers and loving it! I guess my reading list continues to grow!

I hate double posting in comments but I REALLY have to, this book is amazing. I can't stop listening to it, and the narrator on audible, it's SO good.

Ok we are ready for the next book now. It has been six months and thank you.

It would be nice if you started making a podcast out of this!! I would watch this all the time

16:07 love that bottle cap popping! and then it just rolls around for 15s or so :D

I listened to this book several months ago and I really liked it.

I've gone out of my way to give you (JMG) a shout out on social media, I'll just follow up by saying the reason why I've been evangelizing your channel as much as I can, especially the wake of all the buzz and chatter with these DOD UAP reports, has everything to do with the tone you set, and your expertise, and temperament. Your video posts are absolutely delightful and informative, each and every time. I learn so much listening to them over and over again! I'm a fairly tough customer in the sense that my Doctorate degree is in the foundations of physics and I've also spent years working on a separate PhD in theoretical particle physics. And I work in a field of analytic philosophy dealing with scientific methodology and analytic metaphysics. Anyway, without busting out my street creds too much, l must say what I find disappointing among some of my colleagues is their disdain and aversion and ignorance to the hard sci-fi world. Well, they ignore it at their peril! Chances are whatever notion a scientist or a philosopher has been conceiving or kicking around, it was already coined as a literary invention by some sci-fi author previously! You also do a great job with the guests whom you interview. But it's one thing to host interviews with distinguished guests, it's another to basically keep the subjects on a level that is both deeply informative but also leisurely and entertaining. That's hard to pull off. I think of some of your "competitors" out there like Joe Rogan and Lex Fridman. Granted, they are both highly intelligent and daring thinkers but sometimes I feel like the rabbit holes they get down into with their guests are a bit too obscure and narrow, and in some instances, just downright specious! So anyway, a great big thank you!! Truly one of the best damn channels out there on RU-vid and it's great to see the enthusiasm and the curiosity and the interest just expand by leaps and bounds from your ever burgeoning audience base!

I am getting through the book at Chapter 11, I really love it. BTW, I dunno if Andy Weir reads this, but I want to say to him I really liked the Rendezvous with Rama shout out, it should be a universal standard that Aliens don't do "righty tighty", brought a nostalgic tear to my eye.

Thanks, John.

Wonderful interview. Fascinating take on Covid possibly being our last pandemic.

Fantastic audiobook

brilliant video

I really like this one. Thank you sir.

Time to grab some snacks and chill out, stopped everything to watch Event Horizon's new video!

Liking this, adding it to one of my play lists, but NOT listening to all of it because I want to read the book first. Dangit! Gotta wait! :D

Love the new intro graphics

Pandorum meets Sunshine. Already like it.

Great interview, I love the way Andy thinks and writes. I would just like to mention that whoever told him that Aussies dont understand the hail Mary term is just wrong. From my sports mad friends to my 80 year old mother, everyone I know fully understands the concept of a hail Mary. I am interested to know if the book will retain the title here in Australia.

It would be nice if COVID-19 was the last pandemic, but I think it overlooks the latency periods of various viruses. The ability to rapidly develop and then manufacture and distribute an mRNA vaccine will still lag behind the ability of humans to spread the virus, especially when the virus has a latency period of weeks. But I hope he's right.

Thursday is my favorite day for event horizons.

using the invasive monster as an engine... clever

HEYYYY WE GOT A NEW MIC...havent tuned in a while but sounds great!

This book. Wow. I loved it. What a ride! Best read of the year so far. 'Amaze, amaze, amaze!!' Even though I'm Dutch, I read in English. I know the Dutch title is also 'Project Hail Mary'. I saw the German version the other day, and its title is 'Der Astronaut'.

Please remember that he is a writer of fiction and not everything said in this video needs to be taken seriously, it’s like any work of fiction, just for fun ♥️

FANTASTIC BOOK! Thanks Andy!

I'm from Australia.. everyone knows that expression and I got it straight away.

Great story concept. Lots of geeky ideas there.

Great episode

So many surprises in this story it’s impossible to talk about it without spoilers. I’d say it’s best not to hear anything about it until you’ve read it

OMG this was a fantastic book!!!!!

Yes! Balance of Terror is the Star Trek magnum opus1

I'm not really a sci-fi fan but I loved The Martian and now this one sounds good. I may be turning!😁

Cool! Can't wait to read/listen to. When will Artemis become a movie? I've been waiting for that.

What's the song that plays at the beginning? I can't find it in the links.

Its really inspiring to hear Andy Weir's positive take on the future of humankind. I sincerely hope he's right. By the way, marvellous program, as always!

Super good talk again! One point though, i think "hail mary" is more known throughout the world then you think.

Any chance of Event Horizon ever showing up on spotify? Would be lovely to be able to listen to episodes when on the move and such!

Yay new episode \o/

I love this channel!....That is all.

John, when are *you* gonna release your next book? :D

Here we go again! Whoo hooo!

Love it

What's there to understand after you scrape them off your boot?

Good episode, thanks. The original Start Trek was the best.

Just downloaded this the other day from my Audible account. Haven't started listening to it yet, so I'll not be watching/listening to this episode, John. Nothing personal- just don't want to spoil my experience with the book. : ) I do have a suggestion for an interview- Chiara Marletto, the author of the amazing book, "The Science of Can and Can't". She's developing a remarkable new approach to physics (along with David Deutsch), based on "constructor theory." Great article about her, here: www.quantamagazine.org/with-constructor-theory-chiara-marletto-invokes-the-impossible-20210429/

Pandemics make pharmaceutical companies even more wealthy. Powerful people may prolong the existence of pandemics for the sake of short term monetary gain.

Is Event Horizon available as a podcast? I couldn't find it

If the microbe travel on light, why is it not stopped by the light from the sun they are trying to seed/colonize? Would it not be as head wind? I think those small critters would end up in a big cloud between two stars

I HAVE FALLEN INTO EVENT HORIZON!!!

I have a weird question. So, if everything in the universe is moving, How would one be able to calculate complete stillness? What would that look and feel like? Now, I'm not talking about absolute zero. I'm referring to slowing down one's speed in space.

In regards to the advertisement: As a lifelong reading addict, audiobooks are a disservice to literature. They deprive you of 90% of what is fantastic about the medium--The structure and the flow of the written word, the quiet time, the requirement for your complete attention, the ease with which you can flip back a page and stop to contemplate a particularly powerful phrase, the speed at which you can absorb a torrent of information and ideas. You could never experience a writer like Alfred Bester in audio format. Down with audiobooks, and to hell with them!

Isn't ironic that an Author is in a Podcast, sposored by Audible, owned by Amazon, which by itself, destroys small bookstores and rips off Authors. The World we live in! Love this Podcast

Just finished Project Hail Mary. Oh my God it was amazing. Please go read it lol

I gotta put it out there. Here in Aus we definitely know and use "hail Mary" in the same way.

Amaze!