Science on Screen: The Martian

Thursday, February 5 at 7 PM

KPAC presents THE MARTIAN as part of our Science on Screen® series, showcasing films with introductions by notable figures from the world of science, technology, and medicine. An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assumes him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.

ASTROPLANTS
Since time immemorial, humans have dreamed of traveling to the stars and have developed technologies to survive in space. Plants, however, lack such aspirations. Yet the food, oxygen, and psychological comfort they provide are essential for long-term space exploration. This introduction will discuss what it will take to make plants space-ready and establish them as reliable partners in extraterrestrial missions. The introduction will be given by Andrei Smertenko, a professor at the Institute of Biological Chemistry at Washington State University. His research focuses on improving plants’ resilience to heat waves.

An initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

Rated: PG-13 | 2 hr 24 min | Tickets: $8 Adult / Film Pass