‘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
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
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.'
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
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
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
'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.'
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