Science around the OU
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Latest news, views, comment, debate and links for those studying, working, or with an interest in, the Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geology, Physics, Astronomy and the Planetary Sciences
S104 - Study in Wiltshire
Good morning all,
I am starting S104 in Oct.
Just to introduce myself, I am John, 24, haven’t studied since school, new to the OU, and looking forward to the challenges ahead.
S104 will hopefully be a stepping stone to the BSc (Hon) Secondary Education in Physics.
Just wondering if anybody else is studying this module, or studying for this qualification?
You are also welcome to leave any tips on study with the OU :)
Good luck and thank you for reading.
Good morning all, I am starting S104 in Oct. Just to introduce myself, I am John, 24, haven’t studied since school, new to the OU, and looking forward to the challenges ahead. S104 will hopefully be a stepping stone to the BSc (Hon) Secondary Education in Physics. Just wondering if anybody else is studying this module, or studying for this qualification? You are ...
iSpot website reaches 20,000 users
It marks a major milestone for award winning iSpot, which is part of the Imperial College’s Open Air Laboratories and funded by the National Lottery. The website first appeared in the national media after a six-year-old girl identified a rare moth, the Euonymus Leaf Notcher, which had never been seen before in Britain after uploading an image of the creature to the website.
iSpot Director and Professor of Ecology at the OU Jonathan Silvertown said: "It is a proud day for us and for all the iSpot community from beginners to experts. A huge number and variety of observations have been made and thanks to this community, more than 90 per cent of them have been identified, often within minutes of posting to iSpot. Anyone who ever wondered 'What is that?' should snap a photo on their phone or camera and post it on iSpot. It’s fun and you'll learn something!"
iSpot helps anyone, from amateur spotter to zoologist, identify anything in nature. An enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and friendly community, iSpot is the leading nature-spotting social network in the UK. It has a thriving community in its thousands driven by intrigue and a love of nature who all work together to learn more about the natural world around them.
Users can upload images from the natural world around them for identification, and work with others to identify plants and creatures uploaded by others. iSpot users come from a plethora of backgrounds, from complete beginners discovering their first Euonymus Leaf Notcher, to accredited experts from museums and recording schemes from around the globe.
The many eyes of the iSpot community have proved so keen that hundreds of rarities have been recorded and they have discovered two species new to Britain.
The next phase of the project will see several exciting new developments for users of iSpot, building on the foundations established so far which will make iSpot even more accessible to the public. The iSpot Android App is now in public beta, and will soon be ready for general release. iSpot.org.uk is being developed further through funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation; it is also part of the OU’s Wolfson OpenScience Laboratory, a global centre at the cutting edge of practical science learning – operated entirely online. iSpot will also be supporting British Ecological Society’s Festival of Ecology in 2013.
The OU's plant and wildlife spotting social network iSpot is celebrating a milestone after reaching 20,000 users. It marks a major milestone for award winning iSpot, which is part of the Imperial College’s Open Air Laboratories and funded by the National Lottery. The website first appeared in the national media after a six-year-old girl identified a rare moth, the ...
HIV a possible mistake in treatment or a bad way forward
Hello. My name is Barry Holland and I am an Open University Life Sciences Honours Graduate.
I hope to study further to broaden my knowledge of Immunology and one of the fields I have studied on the OU is that of the disease of the immune syustem known as Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome known as AIDS. Having obtained a fairly healthy lower second in my hons route I was out shopping one day in the city of Lancaster when I came across a book by DR Candace Pert called " The Molecules of Emotion" and although at first it appeared to have nothing to do with the immune system as I rtead on I discovered to my surprise that Dr Pert, having obtained her PhD in America for discovering the Opiate receptor in the mamalian brain, was later on in her carreer researching HIV or the virus thought to cause AIDS. She claimes to have come across a natural molecule the body uses to empty ion receptors and TM7 receptors of their ligands in particular the CXCR5 receptor utilised by the virus to gain entrance into the TH1 helper cell which holds that receptor normally. The receptor is used in conjuction with the CD4 receptor to go towards helping activate the antibody B cell to producing more B cells of that type for that antigen ie clonal selection and antibody proliferation. This happens when the B cell internalises through an antibody the antigen (virus ) and breaks it down for representation on the tip of a B cell MHC class II protein back on the outer surface of the B cell.. If the antigen also matches the Tcell receptor on the surface of the right passing T cell it starts off a cascade of presenting proteins along with CD4 reconition:- CD40L and CD28 matching the B cells receptors CD40 and B7 respectively which initiates cell division of that presenting B cell type to proliferate and produce more antibodies of the same type (REF; Fig 2.39 pg82 book 3 Immunology , Infectious Disease S320) The question is DR Pert claiming that her " Substance P" which mormally helps empty CXCR5 receptors of their binding molecule right in claiming that it alos knocks off the virus and stops it entering the cell, or does it also interfere with the Tcell receptor or TCR from binding to the CXCR5 which helps initiate antibody production by and stop it from initiating the receptor chain which would normally help produce antibodies therefore causing further damage to the immune response for all antigens associatede with CD4 presentation (i) not curing the situation and (ii) making the auto immune illness worse . Even if my understanding of the educational schematics or diagrams were wrong and the CXCR5 and TCR receptor were one and the same Dr Candace Perts substance P would knock off the mediating viral antigen fragment from the TCR / MHC class II compex as well and still no antibodies would be produced .
Hello. My name is Barry Holland and I am an Open University Life Sciences Honours Graduate. I hope to study further to broaden my knowledge of Immunology and one of the fields I have studied on the OU is that of the disease of the immune syustem known as Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome known as AIDS. Having obtained a fairly healthy lower second in my hons route I was out shopping one day in ...
Saving Species series returns to BBC Radio 4
The BBC/OU Saving Species series on BBC Radio 4 returns on Tuesday 4 September at 11am with another year of live broadcasts examining the world of nature and the challenges of wildlife conservation. The programme is repeated on Thursdays at 9pm.
Presented by Brett Westwood, the first programme looks back at the summer of 2012. At the time this programme is broadcast many of our summer migrants will already be heading south to Africa. But how did they fare over the summer? This summer has been one of the wettest on record, has this affected our wildlife? We look at some of the winners and losers in the battle for survival.
Also in the programme, Saving Species heads to Dungeness in Kent where a long-term project is underway to return the short haired bumblebee to Britain. This formerly widespread bee was last recorded in 1988 and declared extinct in 2000. Queen bees collected from Sweden have been released in specially prepared farmland and Joanna Pinnock was there to witness this memorable day.
At the opposite end of the country, Chris Sperring reports from Devon where he joined a public night-time safari to look for one of our most enigmatic and enlightening beetles, the glow-worm. Devon last conducted a country wide survey in 1999. Glow worms have declined across the rest of Britain, but have Devon’s glow worms declined since the last survey was completed?
Also in the programme is news from around the world with regular news reporter Kelvin Boot and an update on the activities of the Open University’s iSpot.
OpenLearn also has extensive content in connection with this new series of Saving Species.
(6 votes)
The BBC/OU Saving Species series on BBC Radio 4 returns on Tuesday 4 September at 11am with another year of live broadcasts examining the world of nature and the challenges of wildlife conservation. The programme is repeated on Thursdays at 9pm. Presented by Brett Westwood, the first programme looks back at the summer of 2012. At the time this programme is broadcast many of our summer ...
Help!!!!
Any one in the the north-west area starting health sciences in october? buddy required!!! x
Any one in the the north-west area starting health sciences in october? buddy required!!! x
S104 Study Buddy Kent Oct 12
Hey!
Anyone starting S104 in Oct 12?
22 from Kent this is my first course of higher education since leaving school, studying Natural Science, anyone in a similar boat? :)
Hey! Anyone starting S104 in Oct 12? 22 from Kent this is my first course of higher education since leaving school, studying Natural Science, anyone in a similar boat? :)
Curiosity satisfied as Martian rover touches down
OU Scientists were in great demand for expert analysis and comment on the ambitious mission which reached the red planet early on Monday 6 August 2012.
Professor John Zarnecki, Dr Stephen Lewis, Dr Matt Balme and Dr Susanne Schwenzer were quoted in The Sunday Times, Telegraph, Guardian, Independent and Evening Standard and appeared on BBC Radio Four, Sky News, BBC World Service, CNBC UK, BBC Look East, BBC Three Counties Radio and many other local radio stations.
He said, “Just like weather forecasts on Earth, we had to predict what was going to happen on Mars when the lander arrived, so that it could enter the atmosphere, descend and land safely.”
NASA’s Curiosity Rover landed on Mars at 06:31 (BST) on 6 August using a revolutionary combination of heat shield, parachute and the hovering ‘sky crane’ to decelerate from over 20,000 km/hr to a gentle and accurate landing in just seven minutes.
Both the density of the atmosphere and the wind shears that the spacecraft might encounter had to be known to ensure that the landing was a success. Since the mission was planned for years in advance, seasonal predictions had to be made within a likely range. Like Earth, Mars can have unpredictable weather, and the weather prediction models, some run at The Open University, were combined with regular monitoring of satellite images. In the event, weather conditions were as predicted, with light cirrus ice clouds in the region, but no dust storms sweeping up from the southern hemisphere polar cap edge, where many small storms could be seen in the weeks before landing. These do not tend to move so close to the equator (the landing site is at 4.6°S) at this time of year on Mars.
The Curiosity rover, which has a mass of nearly 1 tonne, is a deploying the most powerful suite of instruments yet sent to Mars with the aim of exploring whether Mars was ever able to support life. It will analyse the geology and past climate of Mars through a record of rocks and soil within the Gale Crater.
Dr Lewis added, “Understanding how the climate of Mars has changed remains a great challenge and will tell us not only about whether Mars was ever habitable but about how the climate of planets like the Earth evolves.”
Find out more:
OU Scientists were in great demand for expert analysis and comment on the ambitious mission which reached the red planet early on Monday 6 August 2012. Professor John Zarnecki, Dr Stephen Lewis, Dr Matt Balme and Dr Susanne Schwenzer were quoted in The Sunday Times, Telegraph, Guardian, Independent and Evening Standard and appeared on BBC Radio Four, Sky News, BBC World Service, CNBC UK, ...
Online virtual laboratory set to ‘OpenScience’
The OpenScience Laboratory is being developed by the OU as an international virtual hub for practical science education.
In an article by Science Omega Professor Steve Swithenby, director of the OU’s eSTEeM centre and co-director of the evolving OpenScience Laboratory, explains why the time now seems to be ripe for a project of this kind.
The project is supported by a £1 million grant from The Wolfson Foundation, a charitable trust which aims to ‘support excellence’ mainly through funding for infrastructure projects.
(6 votes)
The OpenScience Laboratory is being developed by the OU as an international virtual hub for practical science education. In an article by Science Omega Professor Steve Swithenby, director of the OU’s eSTEeM centre and co-director of the evolving OpenScience Laboratory, explains why the time now seems to be ripe for a project of this kind. The project is supported by a £1 ...
OU researcher to study minerals on Mars
Dr Susanne Schwenzer in the University’s research centre for physical and environmental sciences is part of a team which will study minerals formed when hot or cold water interacts with rocks on Mars.
“We already know that there is water on Mars,” said Susanne. “Now, we want to know the temperature of the water and whether it is clean and supportive of potential life - or if it is poisonous. We also want to know if Mars has niches where microbial life could have existed.”
Susanne joins a mission led by Dr John Bridges, Reader in Planetary Science at the University of Leicester.
The Mars Science Laboratory mission, landing NASA’s most advanced planetary rover called Curiosity, is a deploying the most powerful suite of instruments yet sent to the Red Planet.
The rover is scheduled to land at 6.31am UK time on Monday 6 August, beside a Martian mountain within Gale Crater called Mt. Sharp, to begin two years of unprecedented scientific detective work.
Curiosity will also carry the biggest, most advanced suite of instruments for scientific studies ever sent to the Martian surface. The rover will analyse a dozen or so samples scooped from the soil and extracted from rocks.
The record of the planet's climate and geology is essentially "written in the rocks and soil"-in their formation, structure, and chemical composition. The rover's onboard laboratory will study rocks, soils, and the local geologic setting in order to decide if the conditions on Mars were able to support microbial life.
Prior to the landing, the MSL spacecraft will decelerate significantly from a speed of about 13,200 miles per hour to enable the rover to achieve a landing speed of about 1.7 miles per hour. The success of the landing is a critical milestone toward the goal of sending humans to Mars by 2030.
A researcher at the OU will take part in a mission to explore the chemistry of Mars when the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) lands on the planet next week (6 August 2012). Dr Susanne Schwenzer in the University’s research centre for physical and environmental sciences is part of a team which will study minerals formed when hot or cold water interacts with rocks on ...
What have OU Science graduates gone on to do?
Hello,
I'm starting BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences, in October. I'm doing the Biology and Health Sciences pathway.
I was wondering what past OU science graduates have gone on to do. Are there many who have gone on to work as scientists?
Thanks
James
Hello, I'm starting BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences, in October. I'm doing the Biology and Health Sciences pathway. I was wondering what past OU science graduates have gone on to do. Are there many who have gone on to work as scientists? Thanks James
OU researchers to open up information about the natural world
Researchers at the OU are making information about living and fossil organisms on Earth more widely accessible, as a result of a project which started in August 2012.
The researchers, led by Dr David Morse, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, Computing and Technology (MCT), have received £90,000 from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) to help biological taxonomists build databases which catalogue millions of species of animal, plants and microorganisms.
“One of the big issues with biological taxonomy is that many of the records are ancient and only exist on paper, so you cannot just type your search query or species name into Google,” said Dr Alistair Willis, of MCT.
“Once this information is available online, it will be possible to monitor biodiversity and understand the relationships between species in a way that was never possible before.”
The project, entitled A Community-driven Curation Process for Taxonomic Databases, aims to improve the quality of scanned documents about living and fossil organisms. This will combine recommending new texts to users with an online process allowing taxonomists to confirm whether some scanned text has been correctly converted to digital form.
The system will be implemented within the Scratchpad virtual research environment, a social networking framework that is widely used by practising biodiversity scientists.
The project follows on from the OU's research on the Automatic Biodiversity Literature Enhancement (ABLE) project and the Virtual Biodiversity Research and Access Network for Taxonomy (VIBRANT) project, both of which had the London Natural History Museum as a partner. The project will end in June 2013.
(4 votes)
Researchers at the OU are making information about living and fossil organisms on Earth more widely accessible, as a result of a project which started in August 2012. The researchers, led by Dr David Morse, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, Computing and Technology (MCT), have received £90,000 from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) to help biological taxonomists build ...
Study Buddy in Liverpool area
Hi Guys,
I have a fantastic study buddy but as he is all the way over the other side of the country I would love to know if there is anyone local to Liverpool who is studying S104 starting October 2012.
Cheers :)
Hi Guys, I have a fantastic study buddy but as he is all the way over the other side of the country I would love to know if there is anyone local to Liverpool who is studying S104 starting October 2012. Cheers :)
OU videos reveal the science behind the bike
A specially-shot series of videos revealing how science and technology have revolutionised the sport of cycling is set to make tracks on the web, in time for the start of the Tour de France this weekend and London 2012. 
Produced by The Open University, The Science Behind the Bike is a four-part series which takes a detailed look at the what, why and how of cycling and racing.
Team GB physiologists and cycle design experts help explain the reason why some cyclists can go faster than others and the physiological factors involved in bike riding. Shot in various locations - including a wind tunnel and a velodrome - the videos also feature interviews with Olympic gold-medallists Chris Boardman and Rebecca Romero, and Paralympian gold-medallist Sarah Storey.
The series includes footage and discussion about the legendary Hour Record (the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour) with input from Chris Boardman, the current holder of the World Hour Record. Chris talks about the importance of aerodynamics and rider position and fellow cycling legend Graeme Obree contributes with input about the innovations in cycling.
The complete series covers 35 minutes of footage and each part is 8-9 minutes long and is available on OpenLearn.
The material – also available on iTunes U and YouTube channels - were produced to support the Open University module S172 Sport: the science behind the medals.
Why not visit the OpenLearn's Olympic portal and try out Olympize me.
Have you ever wondered which sport you're most physically suited to? Play this interactive game to find out if you’ve got what it takes physically, psychologically and socially to make it to the podium at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
(2 votes)
A specially-shot series of videos revealing how science and technology have revolutionised the sport of cycling is set to make tracks on the web, in time for the start of the Tour de France this weekend and London 2012. Produced by The Open University, The Science Behind the Bike is a four-part series which takes a detailed look at the what, why and how of cycling and ...
OU aids European Space Agency to explore 'dark universe'
Scientists from the OU form part of The European Space Agency (ESA) collaboration to build Euclid, a satellite which will help answer the important question on why the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, rather than slowing down due to the gravitational attraction of all the matter in it.
“Scientists have recently come to the startling conclusion that ordinary matter - that is protons, neutrons, electrons and atoms that we understand well - account for only 4 per cent of the known Universe; the remaining 96 per cent is thought to be made up of the mysterious dark energy and dark matter.”
The Euclid spacecraft, a European venture led by ESA, will survey the sky, and a visible imaging instrument known as VIS will measure the shapes of distant galaxies using a digital camera with a large array of detectors called CCDs. The detectors, manufactured by Chelmsford-based e2v technologies PLC, will measure the precise shape of those galaxies. Foreground galaxies warp the space and time around them, according to Einstein's theory of gravity, and the shapes of background galaxies appear subtly distorted by these foreground warps. By measuring these subtle warps, Euclid will enable direct measurements of the amount and nature of dark energy in the Universe.
The harsh radiation environment around the spacecraft arising from the sun, often referred to as ‘space weather’, can adversely affect the CCD detectors, and with funding from the UK Space Agency, The Open University research team will start a five year programme to make detailed measurements of the radiation effects. Working in collaboration with e2v for detector manufacture, the research group will help UK industry achieve the best performance from their detectors. This will enable calibration and correction of the resulting images, so that any elongation measured by Euclid accurately predicts the presence of dark matter.
Euclid has now been adopted as an official ESA mission and solidifies the Euclid Consortium at the forefront of worldwide research into the ‘Dark Universe’. The satellite is due to launch in 2019.
What is the Euclid Mission?
Euclid is an M-class mission and is part of the ESA Cosmic Vision programme 2015-2025. Euclid is a 1.2m space telescope, located at 2nd large Sun-Earth Lagrange point, and will perform two major surveys of the sky over at least 5 years. The wide survey will cover 40 per cent of the whole sky and is focused on mapping the locations and shapes of billions of galaxies. The Euclid deep field will cover a patch of the sky approximately 100 times the size of the full Moon (or 15,000 times larger than the Hubble Ultra Deep Field), to unprecedented depths. The combination of depth and sky coverage will enable Euclid to detect very rare sources like extremely high redshift quasars, and maybe the first galaxies that ever formed.
Euclid was formally selected in October 2011 for flight, with the Euclid Consortium adopted to help build Euclid on June 20th 2012. ESA will provide to the Euclid mission the spacecraft (built by industry under contract), the launch on a Soyuz rocket from the Kourou base in Guyana, operations for at least 6 years, and mission archives. The EC will provide the scientific instruments for Euclid (VIS & NISP), the data processing and scientific analysis software and archiving as well as scientific leadership for the mission. The EC is comprised of nearly a 1000 scientists from hundreds of institutions in Austria, Denmark, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and UK, as well as contributions from US laboratories.
What is the Dark Universe?
For nearly 80 years now, astronomers have known about “dark matter”; matter than does not shine or reflect light and can only be detected through its gravitational influence. Scientists still do not know the true physical nature of dark matter, but its existence has been confirmed numerous times over the last few decades. In 1999, astronomers found evidence for an even stranger component to the dark universe, namely “dark energy” that appears to driving the expansion of the Universe faster and faster. This “dark energy” makes up three quarters of the energy budget of the Universe; three times the energy associated with dark matter and over 20 times the energy in normal matter like atoms. There are many ideas of what it could be, but so far there is no compelling explanation for the nature of this mysterious substance in the Universe. Astrophysicists believe that the discovery of its very nature will revolutionize fundamental physics and our knowledge of the physical laws of nature.
Find out more:
Photo: Euclid spacecraft by: ESA - C. Carreau
(1 vote)
Scientists from the OU form part of The European Space Agency (ESA) collaboration to build Euclid, a satellite which will help answer the important question on why the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, rather than slowing down due to the gravitational attraction of all the matter in it. Andrew Holland, Professor of Electro-Optics at The Open University’s ...
Inspired by one of the very first…
Jim Watters, 63, fondly remembers brother-in-law Daniel, his sister’s husband, who he credits with giving him the vision to study with the OU.
Jim said: “Daniel was a paraplegic as a result of an industrial accident. He was an ‘A’ year student – one of the very first students of this new university backed by Harold Wilson and Jennie Lee. Although academically able, his physical health was taking a serious toll and the new OU seemed an obvious choice to enable him to further his education.”
Daniel took two foundation courses in Science and Maths, but died of a heart attack in 1974 aged just 44 before being able to graduate.
Jim added: “I used to have discussions with Daniel about this new University of the Air, and it was he who had the vision and gave me the inspiration to sign up, and hopefully ‘live’ out some of his dreams post mortem.”
But he says his qualifications were certainly life changing for the better.
“I was extremely lucky because the Ministry of Defence, who I worked, partly funded my courses which were broadly in line with my technical career.
“I gained enormously from my studies: in confidence, in my career and now in retirement. I had the privilege of working with many excellent scientists and some specialists in their chosen fields. All have been most complimentary about the OU and the opportunities it brought, especially in the 70s and 80s.”
Jim is now retired, but very active in many aspects of education having spent 20 years as chairman of the governors at a local school – something he says would most definitely have eluded him had it not been for his OU background.
Find out more:
A retired design engineer was inspired to join the Open University by one of the very first ‘University of the Air’ students – who sadly died before he was able to graduate. Jim Watters, 63, fondly remembers brother-in-law Daniel, his sister’s husband, who he credits with giving him the vision to study with the OU. Jim said: “Daniel was a ...
OU research student studies how cells move around the body
An OU postgraduate research student at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research has provided new insights into how biological cells move around.
Dr Praveen Kumar Suraneni, whose PhD research has just been published in the online issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, studied cell motility, a complex and integrated process, which when gone awry, can lead to various disease conditions such as cancer metastasis, birth defects, cardiovascular disease and compromised immune function.
To determine whether disrupting the Arp2/3 complex alters cell movement, the researchers tested the cells’ ability to heal a wound. They found that without the Arp2/3 complex, the cells could still move but did not steer a course well.
“The study demonstrates the importance of the Arp2/3 complex for lamellipodia formation,” said Praveen. “We found that cells can still move if they don’t have lamellipodia. However, they cannot maintain a straight course and end up wandering so this affects target-oriented migration of these cells toward the site of injury or wounds.”
Researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research who worked on this project with Praveen are Dr Boris Rubinstein, Dr Rong Li, Dr Jay Unruh and Dr Michael Durnin. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is a non-profit, basic biomedical research organisation dedicated to improving human health by studying the fundamental processes of life. Jim Stowers, founder of American Century Investments, and his wife Virginia opened the Institute in 2000. Since then, the Institute has spent over 900 million dollars in pursuit of its mission.
The Open University registers postgraduate research students at Affiliated Research Centres (ARCs) all over the world. These are organisations, which have entered into an agreement with the University to register students for an Open University research degree award. See here for further information and a full list of ARCs.
An OU postgraduate research student at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research has provided new insights into how biological cells move around. Dr Praveen Kumar Suraneni, whose PhD research has just been published in the online issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, studied cell motility, a complex and integrated process, which when gone awry, can lead to various disease conditions such ...
Jocelyn Bell Burnell: How science was a man's world
She discusses 'How science is a man's world' as she experienced following the discovery of radio pulsars in the 1960s. This was hailed as a great astronomical leap forward but when it came to a Nobel Prize the woman on the team was left off the list.
'Women in business' is a constantly debated subject. Keep an eye on OpenLearn for details of 'Women in the Boardroom' an exciting new OU / BBC co-production and accompanying interactive.
Open University Honorary Graduate Jocelyn Bell Burnell recently appeared on the BBC's Hardtalk. She discusses 'How science is a man's world' as she experienced following the discovery of radio pulsars in the 1960s. This was hailed as a great astronomical leap forward but when it came to a Nobel Prize the woman on the team was left off the ...
MSc Science or MSC Professional Science
Hi all
This is my first post and I apologise if this has been answered before. Please point me in the right direction if that is the case.
I'm thinking about doing either the MSC in Science of the MSc in Professional Science, but can't quite decide between the two. They both have modules that I think will be interesting so I was hoping to get opinions from people actually doing/completed either of these. So, what do you think the main differences are between the two, particularly in terms of career advancement. I currently work in biotech product development (but not in a lab-based position). I would be particularly interested in science communication (although they mostly seem to want PhDs for this), or working in knowlegde transfer, so helping translate research done at universities etc to industry, helping with spin-outs etc.
Basically, any comments on how you're finding it, what you like/don't like etc. If this MSc won't help me career-wise, I'd rather just do random modules that I fancy.
Thanks
Hi all This is my first post and I apologise if this has been answered before. Please point me in the right direction if that is the case. I'm thinking about doing either the MSC in Science of the MSc in Professional Science, but can't quite decide between the two. They both have modules that I think will be interesting so I was hoping to get opinions from people actually doing/completed ...
UK Space Agency funds search for life on Mars
The OU has received three funding awards, totalling nearly £700,000, from the UK Space Agency’s £2 million allocation for science associated with Mars exploration.
Research associate Dr Karen Olsson-Francis, who is also a tutor on S104 Exploring Science, has been awarded a five-year fellowship to find out how microbial processes may have occurred in anaerobic (airless) environments on Mars. The study has major implications for understanding life forms on Mars and how to detect them.
Dr Axel Hagermann has been awarded funds to investigate the importance of the ice caps in influencing Martian climate, a phenomenon called the ‘solid state greenhouse effect’.
And Professor Simon Kelley, Director of the OU's Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research (CEPSAR), will be working with Dr Susanne Schwenzer and Dr John Bridges at Leicester University to study minerals formed when hot or cold water interacts with rocks on Mars. This will enable scientists to estimate the conditions when minerals were formed and help assess what kind of life might have survived in those conditions.
More information
UK Space Agency announces new funding for Martian science
(3 votes)
Can microbes survive on Mars? The answer to this and other questions about Martian life could be answered by Open University scientists in the near future. The OU has received three funding awards, totalling nearly £700,000, from the UK Space Agency’s £2 million allocation for science associated with Mars exploration. Research associate Dr Karen ...
Video: Using odours to detect disease
Claire Turner, a lecturer in analytical science at the OU, talks to the camera about how odours can be used to detect disease and how dogs, rats and bees play their part…
Find out more:
- Study with the OU - S240 Analytical science: health, heritage and environments
- Study with the OU - Science
(7 votes)
Claire Turner, a lecturer in analytical science at the OU, talks to the camera about how odours can be used to detect disease and how dogs, rats and bees play their part… Find out more: Study with the OU - S240 Analytical science: health, heritage and environments Study with the OU - Science 3.714285 Average: 3.7 (7 votes)
Administrators
Who's your favourite TV expert on British TV (current or of all time)?
David Attenborough
55% (399 votes)
Mary Beard
5% (33 votes)
Martin Lewis
3% (24 votes)
Jo Frost
2% (15 votes)
Brian Cox
21% (150 votes)
Maggie Aderin-Pocock
0% (1 vote)
The Hairy Bikers: David Myers & Simon King
2% (18 votes)
The Two Fat Ladies: Clarissa Dickson Wright & Jennifer Paterson
1% (8 votes)
Gareth Malone
2% (18 votes)
Monty Halls
0% (3 votes)
Other
7% (52 votes)
Total votes: 721
David Attenborough 55% (399 votes) Mary Beard 5% (33 votes) Martin Lewis 3% (24 votes) Jo Frost 2% (15 votes) Brian Cox 21% (150 votes) Maggie Aderin-Pocock 0% (1 vote) The Hairy Bikers: David Myers & Simon King 2% (18 votes) The Two Fat Ladies: Clarissa ...
Will the Higgs-boson be found in the LHC?
Yes....because....
66% (61 votes)
No....because....
34% (32 votes)
Total votes: 93
Yes....because.... 66% (61 votes) No....because.... 34% (32 votes) Total votes: 93