The Open University

Uncanny valley: why we find human-like robots and dolls so creepy

10 November 2015

The “uncanny valley” is a characteristic dip in emotional response that happens when we encounter an entity that is almost, but not quite, human. It was first hypothesised in 1970 by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori who identified that as robots became more human-like, people would find them to be more acceptable and appealing than their […]

Street lamps and stone pavement at night. Image credit: Thinkstock

Acid bath murderers and poison: why dark tourism is important

3 November 2015

People love all things spooky and gory. I was reminded of the truth of this when I visited the Museum of London’s new exhibition The Crime Museum Uncovered. It was a tantalising prospect, promising “never-before-seen objects from the Metropolitan Police’s Crime Museum” on display “for the first time ever”. This Crime Museum was established in […]

Research investigates conversations with the dead in Stoke

26 October 2015

The lid is lifted on an ordinary Midlands town to reveal its Spiritualist past as part of an OU research project. Spirited Stoke is a two-year research investigation considering the origins of Spirituality in the city of Stoke on Trent. Spiritualism has been part of Stoke-on-Trent’s history since at least the 1870s and one church […]

Old fashioned pen and scroll: Thinkstock

Blood will have blood – why Macbeth still inspires artists

6 October 2015

Stunningly cinematic and vehemently Scottish, the latest version of Macbeth has opened in UK cinemas. Directed by Justin Kurzel, it’s a post-Braveheart affair, heavy on the mud and gore. In the title role Michael Fassbender exudes intensity and desperation, fuelled by the death of his young son. Marion Cotillard is wraith-like as his broken-hearted wife. […]

A row of houses. Image credit: Thinkstock

London housing protests echo Glasgow rent strikes of 100 years ago

1 October 2015

Anger over government housing policy is undoubtedly one of the running themes of the 2010s. Most recently we have seen anti-gentrification protests in east London over people being pushed out due to huge increases in private rent costs and a lack of social housing, which made headlines for targeting the hipster Cereal Killer Cafe in […]

Online affairs can be addictive, OU study finds

30 September 2015

The internet has made affairs easier to conduct, with a gender divide on what is considered acceptable behaviour online, new research by psychologists at The OU has found. The study of people who have experienced internet infidelity – either having taken part in it themselves or finding out their partner had – revealed: Grey areas […]

Floodlit rugby stadium. Image credit: Thinkstock

Siblings in the scrum: long history of brothers makes rugby a family affair

30 September 2015

It’s well known that family plays a key role in a child’s initial socialisation into sport and his or her continued participation. This family involvement is certainly evident on a Sunday morning at my local rugby club where siblings of both genders and all ages participate in a range of activities. Add to this the […]

People at a music concert. Image: Thinkstock

Why Ibiza club music at a classical concert is a clash we should embrace

12 September 2015

London’s Royal Albert Hall has seen a lot this summer: a performance of Beethoven’s Sixth from memory, a concert reflecting the supposed tastes of Sherlock Holmes, a concert telling the “Story of Swing” and Jarvis Cocker leading an “underwater dream” with music ranging from Echo & The Bunnymen to Debussy. But it was the Ibiza […]

TV series lifts the lid on ancient world’s greatest philosophers

28 August 2015

Genius of the Ancient World follows historian, Bettany Hughes, on her quest to explore the wisdom of the three greatest philosophers of the ancient world: Buddha, Socrates and Confucius. These three celebrated philosophers, who lived during a period of intense intellectual development (600 – 500 BC), were trailblazers. They were the first individuals to apply […]

OU News

Category: Arts and social sciences