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Category: Science, maths, computing and technology

OU researcher helps to reveal origin of exoplanet WASP-121b

OU researcher helps to reveal origin of exoplanet WASP-121b

Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) investigated by a team including an academic from the OU, have provided new clues about how the exoplanet WASP-121b has formed. The insights, published today in Nature Astronomy, captured by the telescope stem from the detection of multiple key molecules: water vapour, carbon monoxide, silicon monoxide, and methane. […]

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Listen to the new season of radio series, Rare Earth

Listen to the new season of radio series, Rare Earth

Today at midday (30 May) the OU/BBC radio series, Rare Earth, returns with a fifth series with environmental journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.    Rare Earth is a weekly podcast and radio show which digs into the biggest issues facing our planet. Each week, hosts Tom and […]

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Nigerian and Kenyan farmers can be first step to making rural mini grids more profitable and affordable

Nigerian and Kenyan farmers can be first step to making rural mini grids more profitable and affordable

In Nigeria and Kenya, many small to medium farms and rural grain-milling businesses are not connected to the national electricity grid. They still use petrol or diesel generators for power. Energy, agriculture and development researchers Temilade Sesan, Lucy Baker, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Geography at The Open University, and colleagues set out to discover how these […]

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Wildlife lovers’ favourite, Springwatch, is back for its 20th season

Wildlife lovers’ favourite, Springwatch, is back for its 20th season

The ever-popular OU/BBC programme Springwatch is back with a brand new series, this time celebrating its 20th anniversary. Springwatch begins on 26th May at 8pm on BBC Two, with new episodes shown Mondays – Thursdays across the next three weeks. You can also catch up on episodes via BBC iPlayer. As Springwatch embarks on their […]

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Living Roof planting

OU brings environmental research to the rooftops

Work has commenced on The Open University’s first green roof research installation, thanks to a collaboration between scientists and a Milton Keynes-based Living Roof contractor. Living Roof Live Lab, located on top of the Stuart Hall office building at the OU’s Walton Hall campus, features a vista of rectangular beds – known as rigs – […]

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The OU and Institute of Coding tackle AI and cyber skills gap with free courses

The OU and Institute of Coding tackle AI and cyber skills gap with free courses

The Open University (OU) has teamed up with the Institute of Coding (IoC) to offer free cyber, coding and AI courses to 18-35 year-olds across the UK. The programme, named Click Start with The Open University, is part of a nationwide initiative funded by Nominet and uses a combination of the OU’s internationally renowned education […]

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OU space expert among world’s first to receive moon samples from China’s Lunar Exploration Program for research

OU space expert among world’s first to receive moon samples from China’s Lunar Exploration Program for research

An academic from The Open University (OU), Professor Mahesh Anand, has been selected as the first scientist from the UK to receive Moon samples from China’s Lunar Exploration Program for conducting research. The sample comes from the Chinese lunar mission, Chang’e 5, which returned Moon samples to Earth in December 2020. Professor Anand applied to […]

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Close-up of a Lab Worker Doing Research and Holding a Piece of Meat

Lab-grown meat: you may find it icky, but it could drive forward medical research

Lab-grown meat causes heated debates. Proponents see benefits for the climate and animal welfare. Opponents worry about a Frankenstein food they regard as risky and unnatural. Whatever your opinion, the technology underpinning cultivated meat is moving fast to create large pieces of muscle tissue, says James Hague, Senior Lecturer in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics and […]

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PhD grant boosts Open University cancer research

PhD grant boosts Open University cancer research

The Open University’s partnership with Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) is taking an exciting step forward thanks to a new PhD studentship starting later this year. A grant from the Pet Plan Charitable Trust will enable a doctoral student to join the team and conduct in-depth research into how dogs identify colorectal cancer, using cutting-edge machine […]

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The Secret Genius of Modern Life returns for a new season

The Secret Genius of Modern Life returns for a new season

Today (2 April) at 8pm, the OU / BBC series, The Secret Genius of Modern Life, returns with a third series. The fascinating programme unpacks the amazing science and mind-boggling innovation behind everyday objects. Professor Hannah Fry is our hammer-wielding, tech-savvy tour guide to the extraordinary stories behind everything from air fryers to roller coasters. […]

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