The Martian (film)

In this return-to-Mars episode, Andrew welcomes Steve Bullock and Maddy Nichols to the Shed to talk about the film of the book that we loved back in episode seven. 

Steve talks to Dr Elliot Sefton-Nash about his work on the new Mars Rover, water on Mars, and music to listen to on the Red Planet, and we hear from Andy Weir about his forthcoming follow up to the Martian. 

We also enthuse about miraculous Mars robots, gaffer/duct tape, the complexities of the Rich Purnell Manoeuvre, and the way the film captures the problem-solving essence of the book, and talk about the practicalities and politics of sending humans to Mars.

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Show Notes

Steve teaches engineering and is currently working on a PhD in aerospace dynamics and control. Maddy is also working on a PhD, somewhere in between engineering and chemistry, developing an architecture for growing artificial organs.

The XKCD comic that Andrew and Maddy act out (along with many other brilliant strips) can be found at XKCD.com.

Andrew's favourite astronaut soap opera, Defying Gravity, was sadly cancelled after one series, which is available on DVD.

Elon Musk: The World's Raddest Man, the Wait But Why article Steve recommends, can be found here. 

You can listen to more from Elliot's band Joyshop on their website. The song in the episode is called Tow the Lion.

Elliot chose DJ Shadow's album Endtroducing..... to listen to on Mars, and the song is Midnight in a Perfect World.