Film: The Martian directed by Ridley Scott

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3659388/

Book read: The Martian by Andy Weir

With the release of the Ridley Scott film, this book was republished and I picked it up to try and get back into reading some science fiction.

My last science fiction was an Iain Banks novel which was a clever book but a difficult read.

The Martian is a breath of fresh air compared to that.  The story is of an astronaut left for dead on Mars who has to work out how to survive long enough for rescue.   The chapters comprise of limited horizon problem solving to try and extend his survival window, all based on believable science and calculations.

There are also some good chapters of the rescue mission planning back on Earth, where Weir captures the "united front" portrayed to the outside world, versus the "internal politics" of the inner NASA management.

I read it in a few days which usually is a good sign of a good read.

Cisco CEO articles

Some good articles on the new Cisco CEO - and a sharp analysis of IoT and the obsession with doing things faster for no obvious benefit.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/06/cisco_robbins_keynote/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/11/pitchforks_torches_and_awful_quotes/

Elon Musk - Mars awaits, when can you go?

I cannot be the only person who cannot wait until this guy disappears to Mars, this type of comment from him just makes me think of that great day:

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-10/09/elon-musk-apple-tesla-graveyard

He sounds must be very difficult to work for, support abusive employment  and spend all day riding on the back of the achievements of others!

Graphing calculator article

Interesting article about graphing calulators used in American maths teaching:

http://mic.com/articles/125829/your-old-texas-instruments-graphing-calculator-still-costs-a-fortune-heres-why

Which also mentions a app like replacement:

https://www.desmos.com/