New BBC ideas collection co-produced by the OU aims to answer Life’s Big Questions

Posted on 7 November 2022 • TV and radio

A brand-new collection of BBC ideas videos, featuring six co-produced by The Open University, have launched on BBC iPlayer.

The new collection branded ‘Life’s Big Questions’, can be seen here on iPlayer.

The OU co-produced videos included in the collection are:

Are we thinking about alien life all wrong?

Professor Brian Cox explains the ‘panspermia’ theory – how life could spread between planets.

OU academic consultant: Dr Mark Fox-Powell, Research Fellow

Is it time to reassess our relationship with nature?

Western societies tend to see nature and humanity as separate. But are there other ways of relating to the natural world?

OU academic consultant: Dr Eleni Dimou, Lecturer in Criminology

How big is our Universe?

Join Professor Brian Cox on an astonishing journey from Earth to the edge of the known Universe.

OU academic consultant: Andrew Norton, Professor of Astrophysics Education

Should human kidneys be bought and sold?                                               

Globally, thousands die each year waiting for a kidney transplant. Should healthy people be allowed to sell a kidney to those in need?

OU academic consultant: Derek Matravers, Professor of Philsophy, and Dr Vicki Caldwell, Senior Lecturer, Social work

The Nuclear Dilemma.

OU academic consultant: Dr Jan Kowal, Senior Lecturer, STEM

Should animals be kept in zoo’s?

Are zoos a great way to teach people about nature and save species from extinction? Or a cruel way of using animals as entertainment, far from their natural habitats?

OU academic consultant: Dr Vicky Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Biology

You can find the full comprehensive set of OU/BBC co-produced digital videos available here, on the OU playlist and on the award-winning BBC Ideas website.

More films will follow this year, covering topics such as the exploration of Bilingualism and the connections between the mind and body.

Our BBC Ideas content is commissioned by Broadcast and Partnerships with support from all of our faculties.

• Commissioned by: Dr Caroline Ogilvie, Head of Broadcast & Partnerships
• Broadcast Project Manager: Jo Weeks
• Supporting online content: Chris Belson

Other information

Visit our Broadcast & Partnerships site where you can find extensive resources and information on topics related to these videos.