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Category: Science, maths, computing and technology

Why the plastic wet wipe ban is a step towards cleaning up our water quality

Why the plastic wet wipe ban is a step towards cleaning up our water quality

We spoke to Dr Kevin Collins, Senior Lecturer in Environment & Systems at The Open University, about the ongoing issue with water quality, and the Government’s recent move to ban ‘plastic’ wet wipes: We all know that plastic in our rivers and our oceans is a bad idea. The Government has recently announced its intention […]

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Wild Isles: Behind the Scenes

Wild Isles: Behind the Scenes

Wild Isles: Behind the Scenes was the first large scale hybrid OU/BBC co-pro event hosted by the OU. It took all the collective expertise of the Faculty of STEM, Development Office and Broadcast and Partnership to make it such a resounding success. The Ondaatje Lecture Theatre at the Royal Geographical Society was the stage for […]

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‘From a plane to a café in Paris, I can study anywhere with the OU’

With the flexibility of The Open University (OU), Colm, 32, has been able to study whilst travelling the world. Originally from Ireland, Colm has spent the last eight years working towards a Bachelor of Engineering, alongside his adventurous life living in Budapest and Madrid. Earning and learning Colm was attracted to OU study, as he […]

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Space scientists investigate whether life could exist inside Jupiter’s moons

Space scientists investigate whether life could exist inside Jupiter’s moons

UK scientists and engineers, including from The Open University (OU) are taking part in a mission that’s about to set off to study Jupiter, our largest planet, and investigate whether some of its icy moons are home to conditions that could support life. Funded by the UK Space Agency, the UK leads on one of […]

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New study finds water on the Moon is stored in ‘beads of glass’

New study finds water on the Moon is stored in ‘beads of glass’

Glass beads formed from the cooling of melted material ejected by and found strewn across the Moon could store substantial quantities of water, according to a study supported by OU academic, Professor Mahesh Anand. These findings, published in Nature Geoscience, were a result of analyses of samples from China’s Chang’e-5 mission (one of the lander […]

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Venus: proof of active volcanoes – at last

Venus: proof of active volcanoes – at last

Venus is almost the same size, mass and density as Earth. So it should be generating heat in its interior (by the decay of radioactive elements) at much the same rate as the Earth does. On Earth, one of the main ways in which this heat leaks out is via volcanic eruptions. During an average […]

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Four plants at different heights

Scientists identify 100 important questions facing plant science

An international panel of scientists, including Dr Yoseph Araya of The Open University, have identified 100 of the most important questions facing plant science. The international initiative has identified key research priorities and highlights the importance of diversity, collaboration, and funding for plant research to tackle climate change, the biodiversity crisis and sustainable food production. […]

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A brief history of the UK’s Winchcombe meteorite

A brief history of the UK’s Winchcombe meteorite

Dr Martin D. Suttle is a Lecturer in Planetary Science at The Open University (OU): On 28 February 2021, for the first time in 30 years, a meteorite fell in the UK and was later recovered by scientists. Today, there’s an international effort to study this space rock and learn more about its place in […]

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See the British Isles like never before in new OU / BBC series, Wild Isles

See the British Isles like never before in new OU / BBC series, Wild Isles

The highly anticipated natural history series, Wild Isles, presented by Sir David Attenborough, begins this Sunday (12 March) evening, taking viewers on a journey through some of Britain and Ireland’s most beautiful landscapes. The Open University (OU) and BBC co-production will begin on BBC One and iPlayer at 7pm on Sunday 12th March, informed by […]

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The OU invites you to celebrate British and Irish natural beauty and #ShareYourWildIsles

The OU invites you to celebrate British and Irish natural beauty and #ShareYourWildIsles

To celebrate the release of the highly anticipated Open University (OU) / BBC series, Wild Isles, the OU is inviting people to share their favourite British and Irish nature spots or species on social media, using the hashtag #ShareYourWildIsles. Simply head to The OU’s social channels and share your photo to get involved. If you’re […]

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