" The nerd of the group is the hero! "

When you study space plants for a living, you don’t expect to see yourself reflected in a blockbuster movie.

But with the release of “The Martian,” University of Florida researchers Robert Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul have a big-screen avatar in the title character, a space botanist marooned on Mars.

At this article, you'll hear from scientists behind UF’s Space Plants Lab as they talk about weightlessness, growing plants in space, heroic nerds, and why Matt Damon might want to switch to sweet potatoes.