Big Picture Science - Martian Madness
It’s the starkly beautiful setting
for the new film “The Martian,” and – just in time – NASA has announced that
the Red Planet is more than a little damp, with liquid water occasionally
oozing over its surface. But Mars remains hostile terrain. Mark
Watney, the astronaut portrayed by Matt Damon, struggles to survive there. If
he has a hard time, what chance does anyone else have?
Find out how long you could last just
eating Martian potatoes. Also, author Andy Weir describes how he
prevailed upon his readers to turn his serialized blog posts into a technically
accurate thriller that inspired the film. Plus, the NASA advisor to
“The Martian” sorts the science from the fiction.
And, how the discovery of water on
Mars might change NASA’s game plan.
Guests:
Download episode at:
http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/martian-madness
You
can listen to this and other episodes at
http://bigpicturescience.org/, and
be sure to check out
Blog Picture Science,
the companion blog to the radio show.