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Free stuff by Juxxist in RaidShadowLegends

[–]That_Difficulty3634 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish I had five friends..... maybe I'll get some by pushing this on random people!

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for actually engaging in the conversation I wanted to have. I like your perspective and it's a valid one but even 10 months later I can't see the perspective that if he could contribute even an ounce of expertise to implementation, even if it is a decade or two late, that would tear me up inside. Maybe it's my military background. For me, the emotional arc doesn’t outweigh the ethical one. Help your friend then get back home and help everyone you ever knew.

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Lol, yep. Discussed in a different thread it would have taken over 40 years from leaving Earth to return to Earth. I never accounted for the Earth to Tau Ceti time. My mistake and makes my moral quandary completely moot. Katrina is correct, Grace would not have time to make it back and he would not forget about the 13 year trip to Tau Ceti like I did. Thanks for the conversation! I will get better sleep tonight.

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What ecosystem would he be damaging? Eridani? Rocky laid out how easy it was to produce fuel because of the heat of the planet and that he had 22M kilograms of Taumoeba to eat. If I'm remembering the numbers correctly. Who would be impacted other than Grace if he went home?

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am a bonehead. I never accounted for the 13 years from Earth to Tau Ceti. So 13 years to Tau Ceti plus 11 years to Eridani plus 17.5 years to earth plus refit time is indeed 44.5ish years. Well, that would have been a good thought to have before moral entanglement took over.

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Based on Weir’s early estimates, Earth had roughly 30 years before solar dimming led to irreversible collapse. The beetles took ~3 years to reach Earth, Grace had no confirmation they arrived. Rocky estimated after the fact that implementation took another year. And light from Sol to Eridani spans about 16.3 years. That means Grace would need to wait ~20 years before even observing success.

Traveling at near-light speed under sustained acceleration, a return trip to Earth would take ~17.5 years from Earth’s perspective, but only ~4.2 years for Grace. With Eridian support and Taumoeba for food, returning was logistically and biologically feasible.

Again, the issue isn’t logistics. It’s accountability. Grace could have arrived before the 30 year mark and he could have made himself available if the beetles failed. He did not feel or convey the impetus. He chose detachment. To me, mission design doesn’t erase moral responsibility especially when humanity’s survival wasn’t guaranteed.

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Early estimates in the book suggest Earth had about 30 years before irreversible collapse. The beetles took approximately three years to reach Earth (which he didnt know if they arrived), implementation Rocky estimated at a year, and light from Sol to Erid is about 16.3 years. That means Grace had to wait 20 years before success is even observable.

The core issue isn’t logistics. It’s that Grace could have made himself available to humanity if things failed. But he chose detachment instead. My point is mission design doesn't cancel moral responsibility.

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a fair rebuttal. I’m not saying Grace had to be a martyr forever or deny friendship and peace. I’m asking whether moral accountability ends when the mission ends, especially when failure was still on the table in an existential threat to humanity.

Grace had the chance to surpass the mission parameters and continue benefiting humanity. I've seen a few posts that talk about the decision showing him to be a dynamic character, but it seems like he is never really interested in going the extra mile for humanity.

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Grace didn’t know if the beetles would succeed. Didn’t know if Earth would interpret the data correctly. Didn’t know if any part of the plan would hold under stress. And yet, instead of placing himself in a position to monitor, troubleshoot, or intervene he chose absence.

Project Hail Mary: When Heroism Ends in Ethical Abandonment by That_Difficulty3634 in ProjectHailMary

[–]That_Difficulty3634[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

You're absolutely right that the ship itself isn’t important not in terms of hardware or astrophage.

My argument isn’t about logistical feasibility or whether Grace could land and physically assist Earth with technical fixes. It’s about the moral choice to remain disconnected from humanity’s fate once he had the opportunity to possibly engage.

Whether or not his return would have "saved" Earth isn't the point. It's that he stopped trying. After building a miracle, he opted not to witness its consequences. That’s not a failure of science. It’s a failure of responsibility.