The Martian – Scientific Successes and Failures The Martian starring Matt Damon depicts the horrific situation in which an astronaut is abandoned on the surface of Mars after an impossible storm sent his crew fleeing. While an enthralling story, there are moments when scientific accuracy is thrown out the window. The enormous storm which forced the crew to abandon their mission and the reduced gravity on Mars, were not depicted accurately in The Martian. Other aspects of the move like the necessity, use and number of solar panels used on the surface of Mars appear to be more accurate. The gravity on Mars is equivalent to one third the gravity on Earth (5). This means that if your body and spacesuit weighed 300 pounds, on Mars you would feel …show more content…
They are forced to evacuate after the realization that the storm is too much for their spaceship to withstand. Their pilot fights the gusts of wind to keep the spaceship upright in preparation for launch. During this process, part of the communication system is ripped from their habitat and appears to kill one astronaut. Storms on Mars are dubbed ‘dust devils,’ they routinely kick up dust and redistribute it over Mars’ surface. They may be called giant dust devils, but they would not ever reach a magnitude where they would be threatening the integrity of a parked spaceship (1). Mars’ atmosphere is 100 times thinner than Earth’s and therefore would not sustain a storm of the magnitude that is depicted in The Martian. The air on Mars is too thin to carry the amount of wind shown in the opening scenes. Even a strong breeze on Mars of 60mph would feel like a light breeze and not be strong enough to push a human over (2). For comparison, this is less than half the speed of hurricane winds on Earth (3). Even if the wind was 100mph on Mars, ‘it would feel like someone was throwing a bag of feathers at you,’ (4). This means that the struggle depicted as the astronauts make their way from the habitat to the spaceship, is overdramatized. The force of the storm ripping the antenna from the habitat would not be feasible. The darkening of the sky and the dust in the …show more content…
(2015). ‘The Martian’ Dust Storm Would Actually Be a Breeze. Space.com. Retrieved from: http://www.space.com/30663-the-martian-dust-storms-a-breeze.html (3) Hille, K. (2015). The Fact and Fiction of Martian Dust Storms. NASA. Retrieved from: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/the-fact-and-fiction-of-martian-dust-storms (4) Dickerson, K. (2015). The Biggest Mistake In ‘The Martian’ Is Absolutely Critical To The Movie’s Plot. Business Insider. Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/dust-storm-strength-the-martian-2015-9 (5) Zubrin, R. (2015). How scientifically accurate is The Martian? The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/06/how-scientifically-accurate-is-the-martian (6) O’Callaghan, J. (2015). How Accurate Is The Martian? 9 Things The Movie Got Right And Wrong. IFLScience. Retrieved from: http://www.iflscience.com/space/how-accurate-martian-9-things-movie-got-right-and-wrong/ (7) Unknown. (2016). Here’s What Matt Damon & NASA Can Teach You About Solar Panels. Alba Energy. Retrieved from:
John Carter, the protagonist, describes the Green Martians as having, “scrawny bodies, long necks and six legs” (24). He likens them to the Indian warriors who had chased him before his travel to Mars (30) as the Green Martians are trained in and pride
Once they get on Mars, Milo is taken to an underground cell. He manages to escape. While he is chased by the Martians guard, Milo follows a voice which orders him to jump down a garbage chute. He lands on a trash-covered landscape inhabited by furry creatures. They lead Milo to see Gribble (Dan Fogler). Gribble whose real name is George Gribble explains to Milo that the Martians are going to extract his mom’s memories at
In the book The Martian by Andy Weir, Mark Watney is thought to be dead and left on Mars after a sandstorm during Sol 6. Mark has to survive with what’s left on mars and through many obstacles and tribulations in his fight to survive. The way Mark’s character broadens from start to finish shows that Mark is witty, rational, and driven.
In The Martian written by Andy Weir, he gives his readers an attention-grabbing story line that is based on realistic events of an Astronauts experience. The view on different experiences they go through in a world called Mars. The story also give emphasis to the values of science and logical thinking. This novel also includes the fascinating tale of space survival that includes unexpected humor and strong language. This is why this Novel is #1 New York Times bestseller and a highly recommended book to read.
...tands the test of time, thanks only to its screenplay; the effects, score and sets can all be outdated, but a good script will never date until dealt with. Many of the influential screenplays, hence films, have risen from the sci-fi genre and they will undoubtedly continue to do so as long as the genre keeps re-inventing itself visually. This is something the Wachowski bros have done; they’ve started a new chapter in the history of cinema and sci-fi, one which has already spawned the likes of ‘Pitch Black’ ( Ian Thorburn and David N. Twohy , 2000), ‘Minority Report’ ( Steven Spielberg , 2002) and of course, the next two Matrix sequels.
While critics praise the motion picture for its beauty and plot, it has also been ripped apart by historians as being untrue to yesteryear. The shear amount of inaccuracies in the film can
Suderman, Peter. "MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Argo’." The Washington Times. N.p., 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the betterment of mankind ultimately is his undoing. The first true AI, HAL. Considered to be 100% error proof fails and murders several humans whose lives he was entrusted with. 2001: A Space Odyssey continues to demonstrate the theme of man vs. nature through the scientists interaction with the obelisk, and Bowman's travel through the solar system. It is considered to be a classic because of the very stylistic camera shots and odd yet entirely working film score.
...ese improvements may actually cause destruction. The moral of these science fiction models is that there is no such thing as perfect. Without the application of science in the film and the two stories, the same message may not have been portrayed. “Flowers for Algernon” shows how the idea of artificial intelligence may seem perfect to an overzealous scientist, but is actually a fatal mistake. “The End of the Whole Mess” demonstrates how a mad scientist may think he knows how to create a peaceful society, but is terribly misguided when he ends up with mental problems. “Gravity” displays a technologically advanced spacecraft, which ends up being of no use when astronauts need it the most. These three models of science fiction all teach a lesson about the inadequacies of future science and technological advancements and the harmful results they can cause to society.
Elysium. Dir. Neill Blomkamp. Prod. Bill Block and Simon Kinberg. By Neill Blomkamp. Perf. Matt Damon and Alice Braga. TriStar Pictures, 2013. Film.
According to Bonnie Tyler, a hero is a man that needs to be strong and fast, straight out of battle, and have a legendary persona about them. Traditionally in mythology, heroes are characterized by their strength, physical prowess, intelligence, cunningness, and success on the battlefield. In addition, most heroes go on some type of quest or adventure, often accompanied by a trusty sidekick to rein them in. The hero’s journey archetype is often divided into three parts: the beginning setup and departure, a period of adaptation and conflict, and the resolution where the hero returns home victorious (Bronzite). Upon this journey the hero will be forced into action, undergo many tribulations, and
is the same as many other sci-fi films like war of the worlds and mars
Andy Weir is an amazing artist of a writer who paints a picture in the reader’s mind and whose background greatly affected the way he writes. The Martian contains a large amount of suspense and science fiction which make it an exciting read.
Ebert, Roger. Rev. of Almost Famous, dir. Cameron Crowe. Rogerebert.com. Chicago Sun-Times, 15 Sept. 2000. Web. 29 March 2011.
Have you ever looked up in the sky and wondered if there is life elsewhere in the universe? Have you ever looked at a photograph of Mars and wondered if there really was ever life on it? People have a wide variety of opinions regarding these questions and with good reason. As far back as the broadcast of H. G. Well's novel, "The War of the Worlds", the world has been fascinated with the possibilities of what Mars may hold. Over time, the majority of people have come to realize that there is no way that life can currently be on Mars. Those who are uncertain think there may be microscopic bacteria underground.