Here’s what Ridley Scott has to say about the science in The Martian

If you’re planning to watch The Martian, Ridley Scott’s newest sci-fi extravaganza, get ready for a love story. No, we don’t mean any romance involving Mark 
Watney (Matt Damon), the intrepid astronaut hero who gets stranded on Mars after a NASA mission goes awry. The story’s real heartthrob is, well, science. Science spoke with director Ridley Scott; Andy Weir, whose debut novel provided the tale; and Jim Green, NASA’s director of planetary science and an adviser on the film, to find out how this surprisingly plausible love song to science was composed. These interviews have been edited for clarity and consistency.