This month's Science Cafe looks at the psychology of long-term space travel and isolation through the lens of the popular movie The Martian, based on a 2011 novel.
Host Dorothy Graves sits down to talk space psychology with Jennifer Fayard, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Ouachita Baptist University.
An excerpt from the Guardian sets the scene:
"Left for dead on the red planet following a scientifically anomalous but narratively necessary windstorm, botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon, giving Cast Away-era Tom Hanks a run for his money) must hunker down for the long haul, knowing that any rescue mission is years away. Luckily, he is quite literally “the best botanist on the planet..."
Science Café forums are held the fourth Tuesday of the month, except for July, August and December. The radio program runs from 6-6:30 p.m. followed by a panel discussion at the Afterthought Bar and Bistro in Little Rock from 7-9 p.m.
Check out the website for information on monthly speakers and topics at www.sciencecafelr.com.