‘Aliens would NOT encrypt their messages’: Author of The Martian dismisses claims that ET is sending secret codes to Earth 

  • 'If aliens were attempting to contact us, they would make it as easy as possible,' Andy Weir said. 'I don’t see why they would encrypt their data'
  • Comes after Edward Snowden said aliens may be encrypting messages
  • Andy Weir was speaking ahead of the launch of the film, The Martian 

Andy Weir is a stickler for accuracy.

A self-described 'hard-core dork', Weir has captivated the world with his largely realistic portrayal of life on Mars in his novel, The Martian.

But while he believes sending man to Mars could soon be possible, he has dismissed claims that aliens are trying to contact Earth as unrealistic.

'If aliens were attempting to contact us they would try to make it as easy as possible,' he told DailyMail.com. 'I don’t see why they would encrypt their data.'

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Speaking to DailyMail.com, Andy Weir, author of The Martian, says he doesn't believe an advanced alien civilisation is trying to contact Earth.  'If aliens were attempting to contact us they would try to make it as easy as possible,' he said

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Andy Weir, author of The Martian, says he doesn't believe an advanced alien civilisation is trying to contact Earth.  'If aliens were attempting to contact us they would try to make it as easy as possible,' he said

His views contradict that of NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, who last month told Neil deGrasse Tyson he thinks aliens encrypt their communications.

We can't contact them because we don’t have the ability to detect or decode their messages, he said.

'I do not believe aliens are trying to contact us at all,' added The Martian author.

'I think the odds are very high that there is life out there, other than us, and even intelligent life out there. 

'However, I also believe that we will never find a way to transmit information faster than light. 

Andy Weir's (right) views contradict that of NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, who last month told Neil deGrasse Tyson he thinks aliens encrypt their communications. He is the author of the novel, The Martian (left), which the film is based on
Andy Weir's (right) views contradict that of NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, who last month told Neil deGrasse Tyson he thinks aliens encrypt their communications. He is the author of the novel, The Martian (left), which the film is based on

Andy Weir's (right) views contradict that of NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, who last month told Neil deGrasse Tyson he thinks aliens encrypt their communications. He is the author of the novel, The Martian (left), which the film is based on

The film, based on the book with the same title, stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut who is stranded on Mars after a storm causes an evacuation of a human habitat

The film, based on the book with the same title, stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut who is stranded on Mars after a storm causes an evacuation of a human habitat

'So if there is a civilisation out there that’s hundreds of millions of light years away, then it will take hundreds of millions of years before we can interact with them. So we’re not going to run into that.'

Weir was speaking ahead of the launch of The Martian in cinemas on October 2nd in the US and September 30 in the UK.

The California-based author's book has been adapted for the big screen by Ridley Scott, providing a stark account of one man's attempt to survive on Mars.

It stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut who is stranded on Mars after a storm causes an evacuation of a human habitat.

'In the face of overwhelming odds, I'm left with only one option,' says Watney. 'I'm going to have to science the s*** out of this.'

DAILYMAIL.COM Q&A WITH THE MARTIAN AUTHOR ANDY WEIR 

Who did you hope to impress the most with your book?

I never really thought of that. At the time I wrote the book, I was just writing it for what I thought was a niche demographic... I think I hope to impress the hard-core science dorks. I want them to grudgingly admit to themselves and others that the science is fairly accurate.

How much did Ridley Scott have to change the science from the book for the film?

 They didn’t change much really. The science is still accurate, they just don’t bother to go through all the detailed explanations that I do in the book. They just say, here’s how it is, here’s what he does, here’s what he builds. If you care enough to go and check all the numbers, you’ll find out it is correct.

Will there be a follow up to The Martian?

No, I have never come up with a good idea for a sequel. It would be a let-down in some way and would be less interesting that the original book, and I want to avoid that.

I’m working on my next novel now. It’s more soft science fiction but it is technically accurate. It has aliens and faster than light travel and stuff like that. It’s titled Zhek, and I hope to have it out in late 2016. And that’s all I’m saying for now.

What annoys you the most about critical feedback on The Martian?

One thing I am sick of is people constantly comparing it to Interstellar, because Matt Damon played a role and Jessica Chastain is involved. And yeh ok, Matt Damon played a spy in the Bourne movies, and Jessica Chastain played a spy, so I guess the Martian must be a spy movie. It’s a little annoying.

Would you accept a free ticket to go to Mars?

Nope. I write about great people, I’m not one of them. Absolutely not. In the words of Great Britain’s own Pink Floyd, I am an Earth-bound misfit.

Weir claims the film is about 95 per cent accurate in terms of the science involved. 'Accuracy was definitely one of my primary goals when writing the book,' he said. 'All the challenges, all the conflict, all the problems [Watney] has are based on the nitty-gritty details of space and Mars'

Weir claims the film is about 95 per cent accurate in terms of the science involved. 'Accuracy was definitely one of my primary goals when writing the book,' he said. 'All the challenges, all the conflict, all the problems [Watney] has are based on the nitty-gritty details of space and Mars'

Weir claims the film is about 95 per cent accurate in terms of the science involved. 

'Accuracy was definitely one of my primary goals when writing the book,' he said.

'All the challenges, all the conflict, all the problems [Watney] has are based on the nitty-gritty details of space and Mars. If you don’t get the nitty-gritty details right, then what’s the point?'

The botanist only has a few weeks of supplies to provide himself subsistence for the four years he would need to stay alive to be rescued.

Watney hatches a plan to grow his own food by converting the floor of the research station into a field.

The film shows him using sprouts from potatoes the astronauts brought along for a Thanksgiving meal.

This involved calculating how many calories he would need to survive four years - 2,137,500 - and how many potatoes that requires, as well as how much land would be needed.

To map Watney's 3,200 mile journey across Mars, Weir studied Nasa satellite images and used Google Mars to analyse the planet's elevation

To map Watney's 3,200 mile journey across Mars, Weir studied Nasa satellite images and used Google Mars to analyse the planet's elevation

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden (stock image) says aliens could be trying to contact us on Earth, but we may never detect them because their messages are likely encrypted so we unable to spot them

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden (stock image) says aliens could be trying to contact us on Earth, but we may never detect them because their messages are likely encrypted so we unable to spot them

HOW LONG WOULD A MANNED MARS MISSION TAKE? 

Owing to the orbits of Earth and Mars, there are specific windows of opportunity when a mission can take place.

Our planets come as close to each other as 33.9 million miles (54.6 million km), but can be as distant as 250 million miles (400 million km).

For this reason spacecraft to Mars, such as the Curiosity rover, have to launch in certain windows when the planets are aligned.

The next window is open from January 2016 to April 2016, and will see the launch of two more missions to the red planet.

For a future manned mission, they will need to launch out in one of the windows and return in another.

Just getting there will take up to nine months. 

The astronauts will then be there waiting for a year until they can come back, again taking up to nine months - a total of around three years. 

In reality, Mars is a relatively ideal place to put up a greenhouse, according to Nasa.

The day and night cycle is almost identical to Earth's, and the total solar energy hitting the surface is enough for a plant's needs.

Weir also had to calculate out the chemical reaction that would allow Watney to make 600 litres of water out of hydrazine and CO2.

To map Watney's 3,200 mile journey across Mars, Weir studied Nasa satellite images and used Google Mars to analyse the planet's elevation. 

It shows him being flung about by storms and a powerful explosion that throws him out of his habitat. At one point, he frantically attempts to seal a crack in his helmet using duct tape.

But there are some glaring omissions, such as the effect of radiation. All of the equipment was designed to withstand the environment, but space suits typically don't offer much protection. 

A three-year Mars mission would violate the total dose requirements for younger astronauts. It remains to be seen how the film deals with this issue, if it does at all. 

Nasa's discovery of signs of liquid water on the red planet last week has thrown Mars back into the spotlight. Pictured are marks on Mars, which lengthen and darken as the seasons change. Scientists say these are first evidence of their kind ever found on another planet and they're the first step in confirming life can exist there

Nasa's discovery of signs of liquid water on the red planet last week has thrown Mars back into the spotlight. Pictured are marks on Mars, which lengthen and darken as the seasons change. Scientists say these are first evidence of their kind ever found on another planet and they're the first step in confirming life can exist there

'I made deliberate concessions for dramatic purposes, notably the sandstorm at the beginning of the book. 

'A real Martian sandstorm wouldn’t cause damage like that, it could barely knock down a piece of paper. And people will surely call me out on that, and they have. 

'But it’s a story, and the point is to entertain.' 

Nasa's discovery of signs of liquid water on the red planet last week has thrown Mars back into the spotlight.

But while Mars fascinates Weir, he would not accept a free ticket to travel there in the future.

'I write about great people, I’m not one of them. 

'Absolutely not. In the words of Great Britain’s own Pink Floyd, I am an Earth-bound misfit.'

6 TIPS FOR SURVIVING ON MARS, BY 'THE MARTIAN' AUTHOR ANDY WEIR

1 - You’re going to need a pressure vessel

Being on the surface of Mars is almost the same as being in deep space. You better bring a nice, sturdy container to hold air in. 

2 - You’re going to need oxygen

There are lots of ways to strip the carbon off carbon dioxide and liberate the oxygen. You could have complex mechanical oxygenators or you could just grow some plants.

3 - You’re going to need radiation shielding

The easiest way to do that is to bury your base in Martian sand and rocks. They’re not exactly in short supply, so you can just make the pile deeper and deeper until it’s blocking enough.

4 - You’re going to need water

 All you need to do is scoop it up, heat it, and strain out the water. Once you have a good supply, a simple distillery will allow you to reuse it over and over.

5 - You’re going to need food

Just think of how much food you eat in a year and imagine how much space it takes to grow it. Hope you like potatoes. 

6 - You’re going to need energy.

Mars’s average daily temperature is -50C (-58F), so it’ll be a continual energy drain to keep warm. 

Source: Crown Publishing. For a full list, click here 

 

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