Editing 1536: The Martian

This comic refers to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue4PCI0NamI this trailer] for ''{{w|The Martian (film)|The Martian}}'', which was released the on Monday 8th June. This is the first comic after the release of that trailer. A teaser [https://youtu.be/CumZP6_9sHU "viral" trailer] had been released the previous day. The film is starring {{w|Matt Damon}} (of ''{{w|Interstellar (film)|Interstellar}}'') and directed by {{w|Ridley Scott}} (of ''{{w|Alien (film)|Alien}}''). The film is due to be released in the United States on November 25th, 2015. (At the time of writing, no other release dates are listed.)

''The Martian'' is based on {{w|The Martian (Weir novel)| a book of the same name}} by {{w|Andy Weir (writer)|Andy Weir}}. The book is very popular for its funny writing, great cast of characters, and skilled use of realistic science to create drama. The plot is ­a cross between ''{{w|Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13}}'' (but on Mars) and ''{{w|Robinson Crusoe}}''.

In ''Apollo 13'' (a film based on a true historical event), the astronauts of the title space mission find themselves in a damaged spacecraft. One issue the crew faced was a buildup of carbon dioxide. In order to resolve the issue, the crew needed to find a way to attach a square-shaped air-cleaning cartridge from the command module to the circular receptacle of the lunar module. In one brief scene, the {{w|mission control}} staff gather together a box of items equivalent to what the crew would also have onboard and sit down with the mandate to figure out how the astronauts can connect the two with the items available to them. In that case, the ground crew took on the task of trial and error given the availability of backup supplies in case they damaged or destroyed some of the supplies. Once a working solution was devised, specific instructions were relayed to the astronauts. Cueball suggests that ''The Martian'' essentially consists primarily of the type of problem-solving showed in that scene.

In the final panel, White Hat wonders how a novel based on that kind of seemingly cerebral and procedural problem-solving became a big-budget film starring Damon. big-budget films are generally action films with a great deal of special effects and action sequences likely to draw big audiences (to recover equally large box office returns). Matt Damon has become is high-profile big-budget star known for action films like the {{w|Bourne (film series)|''Borne'' film series}}.

The title text is a reference to a particular part of ''The Martian''s story: The astronaut stranded on Mars has previously established communications with Earth by repurposing the {{w|Mars Pathfinder|Pathfinder}} probe that NASA landed on Mars in 1997. While working on another piece of equipment, he accidentally subjects the probe to an electrical short-circuit, destroying its electronics and "bricking" it. "{{w|Bricking}}" is a neologism in respect of consumer electronics which essentially means to cause an electronic device to become non-functional, and essentially no more useful than a "brick". The term is commonly used in respect of an unrecoverable failure of {{w|software}} and often a corruption of {{w|firmware}}. An unexpected "bricking" can be very surprising, and in a case where the item is critical, could be devastating.

:Whitehat: What's that?

:Whitehat: Should I read it?

:[Cueball pivots on chair and turns away from computer to face Whitehat.]

:Cueball: Depends. You know the scene in Apollo 13 where the guy says "we have to figure out how to connect ''this'' thing to ''this'' thing using ''this'' table full of parts or the astronauts will all die?

:Whitehat: Yeah?

:Whitehat: How on earth did ''that'' become a big-budget thing with Matt Damon?