The Martian — Lessons in Problem Solving
Finding Answers in Science, Analytics, and Space Piracy
Problem Solving Is All About Iteration
At some point, everything’s gonna go south on you… everything’s going to go south and you’re going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That’s all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem… and you solve the next one… and then the next. And If you solve enough problems, you get to come home. All right, questions?
Problems happen or as Mark Watney notes, things “go south”. It is an inevitability for every business and every enterprise. Most likely you will not find yourself stranded alone on another planet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find solid inspiration in the story line of The Martian.
The Martian is the story of problem solving. It is the story of men and women overcoming adversity and defying odds. They do this with a few very basic techniques that we can draw on for this article. The quote above is the closing lines of Mark Watney, the central character in The Martian. For our purposes, it is the perfect quote to begin.
Mark summarizes his entire journey and the secret to survival with a single concept iteration. Or, as he states it, first solve one problem and then the next. Iteration is a concept I have written about numerous times. It is an essential component of problem solving and is the best way to segment your challenges into more manageable steps.
If It Were Easy You Wouldn’t Need Science
In the face of overwhelming odds, I’m left with only one option, I’m gonna have to science the shit out of this.
If you are looking for help, your problems must not be that easy. If they are not easy, you are likely in need of some science and analytics. Mark Watney plays the science card repeatedly throughout the movie.
Mark also has a few advantages that are important to note. For starters, NASA (at least in this movie) has been very good at instrumentation, so Mark has a lot of data and information at his finger tips. This is often not the case in many problem solving situations. Mark also has an immense opportunity to think and focus — so while being isolated on a desolate planet IS his problem, it is also an opportunity. Again, you are unlikely to find yourself trapped on Mars, but don’t discount the possiblity that your problem is presenting its own opportunities.
Mark also has a few disadvantages. It is very difficult for him to talk to his support and research teams at NASA. In fact, at the beginning of the movie it is not even possible until he digs up some old technology. Both of these plot elements are carrots for business problem solvers. Communication is always a struggle, if not distance, simply understanding. Old technology, old data, and simple history are often advantageous when things go south.
Embrace Your Inner Pirate
I’ve been thinking about laws on Mars. There’s an international treaty saying that no country can lay claim to anything that’s not on Earth. By another treaty if you’re not in any country’s territory, maritime law aplies. So Mars is international waters. Now, NASA is an American non-military organization, it owns the Hab. But the second I walk outside I’m in international waters. So Here’s the cool part. I’m about to leave for the Schiaparelli Crater where I’m going to commandeer the Ares IV lander. Nobody explicitly gave me permission to do this, and they can’t until I’m on board the Ares IV. So I’m going to be taking a craft over in international waters without permission, which by definition… makes me a pirate. Mark Watney: Space Pirate.
Mark Watney had far more in common with pirates than he realized. Pirates were notoriously stranded in desolate places, lacking means of propulsion, low on food, low on water, scrounging old tools and supplies. Undertanding the techniques used by people in the past can be quite helpful.
Admitting though that many problems are half as analagous to piracy, there is another lesson to be learned here. Take some risks! The movie never tells us whether Mark was tried for his space piracy, perhaps that will be the sequel? When things get tough, you have to be willing to push the limits on what is possible. I am not advocating breaking international laws, but don’t get lost in formality and bureaucracy. Just go for it!
When Your Faith Is Flagging, Turn To Passion
I know what they’re doing. I know exactly what they’re doing. They just keep repeating “go faster than any man in the history of space travel”, like that’s a good thing. Like it’ll distract me from how insane their plan is. Yeah, I get to go faster than any man in the history of space travel, because you’re launching me in a convertible. Actually it’s worse than that, because I won’t even be able to control the thing. And by the way, physicists, when describing things like acceleration do not use the word “fast”. So they’re only doing that in the hopes that I won’t raise any objections to this lunacy, because I like the way “fastest man in the history of space travel” sounds. I do like the way it sounds… I mean, I like it a lot.
[pauses]
I’m not gonna tell them that.
We come now to the pinnacle in the story. The problems have been iterated. Science and analysis have been applied. The team has pushed to the limits taking numerous risks along the way. Unfortunately, the final solution has additional risk. The probabilities are low. Faith is flagging.
Mark teaches us one final lesson. When confidence starts to falter, find something to inspire your passion. There is a reason that military leaders speak of glory minutes before a battle. When fear and trepidation arise, a well stoked ego is just the ticket. You are likely to need something larger than you or your business to give you the energy and confidence you need to take those final steps.
In the end, that won’t be enough. You will need to continue to iterate, science, and take risks as well.
If you enjoyed this article, please recommend it ❤, subscribe as well. For more articles on iteration, consider:
For more inspiration from pirates, consider:
Thanks for reading!
