Fact-checking the science of 'The Martian'

A lot of the science you'll see in the film is accurate: Matt Damon's character creates water using a dangerous (but real) chemical reaction involving rocket fuel. He grows potatoes using a realistically potent mash-up of Martian soil, water, and

Yet that's exactly what Matt Damon's character, a NASA astronaut stranded on the Red Planet, does in the upcoming film "The Martian," based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir. NASA's head of planetary science Jim 

Filled with technical details on hacked-together and makeshift survival solutions, The Martian follows the story of astronaut Mark Watney's struggle to stay alive on Mars after being abandoned and left for dead by his 

Filled with technical details on hacked-together and makeshift survival solutions, The Martian follows the story of astronaut Mark Watney's struggle to stay alive on Mars after being abandoned and left for dead by his 

Yet that's exactly what Matt Damon's character, a NASA astronaut stranded on the Red Planet, does in the upcoming film "The Martian," based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir. NASA's head of planetary science Jim