The Martian by Andy Weir (Film and Book discussion)

[Nora]

I don't know about the book, but the movie has two big problems:
1) Sean Bean doesn't die
2) Sean Bean doesn't say "One does not simply walk into Mars"
Bastard

Also Sean Bean doesn't ask to be called Boromir during Elrond's council. Massive lost opportunity.

[ClintACK]

I don't know about the book, but the movie has two big problems:
1) Sean Bean doesn't die

You didn't like the surprise twist?  I love surprise twists.

2) Sean Bean doesn't say "One does not simply walk into Mars"
Bastard

Maybe not, but he did get to attend the Council of Elrond again.  That was pretty meta.

[Hedin]

I saw the movie last night and loved it.  Like I said I haven't read the book before so I don't know what might have been left out but I can't imagine anything that would have added more to the movie.  I can't wait for a few years from now when I can spend lazy Sundays watching it on cable.

I don't know about the book, but the movie has two big problems:
1) Sean Bean doesn't die
2) Sean Bean doesn't say "One does not simply walk into Mars"
Bastard

Also Sean Bean doesn't ask to be called Boromir during Elrond's council. Massive lost opportunity.

When I saw where they were going I was so hoping he would do that.

[ClintACK]

But who would *ask* to be called Boromir -- the weak, tragic foil who was there just to make Aragorn and Faramir look good by comparison?

[Nora]

No, come on @ClintACK ! Faramir isn't introduced until well later in the book.
And Boromir tells of a great dream at the council. He's a bit brash, but his entire nation has been taking more than one for the team, you hardly learn to hate him from the start.

To me it was more "wait, was Glorfindel at the council?" and had to separate the movie from the book in my head.

And @Hedin, not necessarily adding anything, but if you don't know about it, then let me tell you that Damon would never survive his trip to the crater if he'd slept outside, like he's shown to do, because they decided to not change the rover in a hippy campervan like he does in the book.
Radiations would kill him in days.

Picture from JPL :



http://www.space.com/21353-space-radiation-mars-mission-threat.html

I was surprised to learn that Weir let such a disappointing thing go, as it was potential for fun, wouldn't have added more than 5min to the movies, and saved a lot of raised eyebrows.

[Raptori]

Just watched it now, thought it was really good. Definitely missed a lot of the tension from the book, mostly because it made it out as if Watney's tasks were pretty straightforward instead of really difficult and complex, and those two or three science fails (sleeping outside, texting NASA while driving, idiot iron man scene) were a bit of a disappointment too even though we already knew they were coming. Still really enjoyed it, just not as much as others like Interstellar.

[Nora]

Yeah... I still can't watch interstellar unless I feel like having a fit of crying... 

It's the one movie that actually pushed me to start writing and do something of my own ideas. 

[Hedin]

Yeah... I still can't watch interstellar unless I feel like having a fit of crying... 

It's the one movie that actually pushed me to start writing and do something of my own ideas. 

I really liked the first 2/3 to 3/4 of Interstellar (although there were some parts that bothered me) but the ending just threw me off completely.  I probably need to re-watch it at some point and look at it with fresh eyes but for me the end moved it from a good movie to a meh movie.

[Rostum]

And @Hedin, not necessarily adding anything, but if you don't know about it, then let me tell you that Damon would never survive his trip to the crater if he'd slept outside, like he's shown to do, because they decided to not change the rover in a hippy campervan like he does in the book.
Radiations would kill him in days.

Picture from JPL :



http://www.space.com/21353-space-radiation-mars-mission-threat.html

I was surprised to learn that Weir let such a disappointing thing go, as it was potential for fun, wouldn't have added more than 5min to the movies, and saved a lot of raised eyebrows.

I am reading the chart as 300 Millisieverts, its non linear. That is more than a nuclear worker can be exposed to in a year but not enough to cause radiation sickness even as a single dose. You would be monitored as you would have an increased risk of cancer but over 500 days the dosage is high but not in itself dangerous.
Two workers at Fuckushima were exposed to 180 mSv as a single dose and are in good health.
400mSv for radiation sickness, 4-8 seiverts is a fatal dose.

Not seen the film yet but did enjoy the book even if it felt a bit Robinson Crusoe in space at times.

[Nora]

I am reading the chart as 300 Millisieverts, its non linear. That is more than a nuclear worker can be exposed to in a year but not enough to cause radiation sickness even as a single dose. You would be monitored as you would have an increased risk of cancer but over 500 days the dosage is high but not in itself dangerous.
Two workers at Fuckushima were exposed to 180 mSv as a single dose and are in good health.
400mSv for radiation sickness, 4-8 seiverts is a fatal dose.

Not seen the film yet but did enjoy the book even if it felt a bit Robinson Crusoe in space at times.

If you believe what japanese media tells you about the health and safety of their workers, I don't know if there is any point arguing on nuclear topics. It's the biggest can of worms since Chernobyl, and 3x times worse than it, with people being hired by the yakuza to work on the plant, without being officially monitored since they're contractors of contractors of contractors, subsidaries whose number of workers is totally unknown, ect.


More info on mars radiations here. http://www.mars-one.com/faq/health-and-ethics/how-much-radiation-will-the-settlers-be-exposed-to

They'd get exposed to so much radiations, there is no point in sleeping outside just to accumulate more risky amounts! How much mSv would it be, spending 10h a day, everyday for 210 days? Plus the back and forth trip to earth, and the fact that he does hope to not get a cancer once he gets home.

Why do it? He doesn't have enough physical oxygen canisters to even do it anyway. His rover has an oxygenator that provides endless supplies of it.
The way he turned it into a hippy van was a great source of ingenuity and comic relief as well as the only scientifically correct way to do it.

Maybe you're right on pointing at Fukushima, maybe these days it's better if the public forgets about radiations, so they plain and simple won't mention them.

[Rostum]

If you believe what japanese media tells you about the health and safety of their workers, I don't know if there is any point arguing on nuclear topics. It's the biggest can of worms since Chernobyl, and 3x times worse than it, with people being hired by the yakuza to work on the plant, without being officially monitored since they're contractors of contractors of contractors, subsidaries whose number of workers is totally unknown, ect.

I have seen some really wonderful data on Fuckishima including a wave height chart being used as evidence of nuclear contamination reaching the USA. The IAEA reported the highest dose from Fuckishima as 180 mSv I have no evidence or reason to doubt them. 400mSv as a single dose is the point radiation sickness is a certainty.

 I am guessing you believe Nuclear power to be a bad thing, which is fine, but you need to be able to provide evidence instead of making wild claims. Both Chenobyl and Fuchishima are monitored and anyone entering the containment zones is monitored if you have credible evidence to the contary there are organisations to report it to.

back to the original point 300mSv over 500 days is not going to cause radiation sickness. 300mSv every 500 days for life would see a rise in risk of both birth defects and cancers.