Impossible Space #312

April 10, 2015

This week we're exploring the limits of science exploration in both fictional and fact. We're joined by "lifelong space nerd" Andy Weir, to talk about his debut novel "The Martian," that pits human inventiveness and ingenuity against the unforgiving environment of the red planet. And astrophysicist and science blogger Ethan Siegel returns to explore so-called "impossible space engines," and what news stories about them can teach us about journalism and science literacy.

Guests:

  • Andy Weir
  • Ethan Siegel

Featured Book

The Martian: A Novel

Written by Andy Weir

Book Blurb Find On Amazon

Guest Bios

Andy Weir

Andy Weir was first hired as a programmer for a national laboratory at age fifteen and has been working as a software engineer ever since. He is also a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects like relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. "The Martian" is his first novel.

Ethan Siegel

Ethan Siegel is a theoretical astrophysicist, author, and an award-winning science communicator. He is the author of the 2 books "Beyond The Galaxy: How Humanity Looked Beyond Our Milky Way And Discovered The Entire Universe" and "Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive". He can be found blogging about all things physics on his Forbes blog Starts with a Bang and on the Medium network.

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