The Martian by Andy Weir

For my proposal, I chose The Martian by Andy Weir. I chose this book for a few reasons; plot, personal interest, and recommendation. I think that the topic of The Martian is much more interesting than those of the other novels, and keeps the reader more attached. The reader becomes invested in Mark and his survival / possible rescue, and it draws you in. I find it amazing, and a little unbelievable, how Mark was able to survive on Mars. Despite the obvious challenges posed by having to survive on Mars, such as lack of food, water, and oxygen, the psychological and emotional challenges Mark was facing would have been hard enough to deal with.

I am currently on Chapter 10 out of Chapter 26. I have seen parts of the movie, but have not yet watched the entire thing through. Based on the parts of the novel that I have read, and my brief viewing of the movie, I selected a few topics that are of high interest to me currently. Discussing the science behind how Mark got stranded and survived, and the accuracy of this is one of those topics. I enjoy watching medical TV shows and analyzing the validity of the scenes, so figuring out whether Mark would have actually survived despite the antenna through his chest is something I would like to further explore. The other provided topics I want to explore are:

1) What will humans need to survive on Mars as inhabitants? Why is Mars a good choice for a possible future home? Why is it not a good choice? What are the challenges for such a Mars mission? Would another planet or a moon be a better choice?

2) Why does Mark decide to grow potatoes? Discuss the quantitative aspects of his choices. How does he acquire all the ingredients he needs to grow them successfully? What are the dangers of his approach?

3) What challenges does Mark face as he tries to travel across Mars on journeys with various missions? What are the goals of the trips? How does he navigate during the trips? How does he solve