Smithsonian Magazine

These Sea Slugs Can ‘Eat’ Sunlight—but They’re No Astrophage. Here’s How the ‘Project Hail Mary’ Antagonist Has a Real-Life Analogue in Earth’s Oceans

Like Astrophage, the solar-radiation-eating microbes in Andy Weir’s novel Project Hail Mary, some sea slugs can derive energy from sunlight. Niamh Ordner Like Astrophage, the solar-radiation-eating ...
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These sea slugs can 'eat' sunlight—but they're no astrophage. Here's how the 'Project Hail Mary' antagonist has a real-life analogue in Earth's oceans

The sea slug is bright green, shaped like a leaf and doing something very few animals can: harnessing the power of the sun. Certain species of sacoglossan sea slugs can conduct photosynthesis—an ...