Physics LOGOS (λόγος, from λέγω lego "I say")

Thursday, October 1, 2015

In a contemporary, yet classic survival story, The Martian documents the struggle of astronaut Mark Watney to withstand the barrage of life-ending threats thrown by Mars. Although science fiction, author Andy Weir weaves physics, astronomy, botany, engineering, and chemistry into the book. One of the topics Weir deftly describes is the challenge imposed by traveling to Mars.

If you travel to Mars, there are three legs of your journey: (1) the launch from Earth; (2) the orbit around the Sun; and (3) the landing on Mars. During the launch and landing, you will use rocket fuel. But during the orbit, you will drift through space with Newton and the Sun driving.

Launch from Earth

To reach Mars, the rocket must launchis a combination of Tom Hanks' Apollo 13 and Castaway. With in-depth scientific analysis, from physics and astronomy to chemistry, botany, and geology, Weir's book grabs both the mind and soul.

A few weeks ago, students in my First Year Seminar course on the Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe at High Point University read The Martian. The purpose of our course is to investigate the question "Are we alone in the Universe?" In terms of the search for biological life, there's no better place to start than Mars. But if you are searching for a fun way to learn science, there's no better place to start than The Martian.

Solar Day

While on Mars, astronaut Mark Watney organizes his log (or journal) by sol. A sol is an abbreviation