The Open University

New facial profile genes discovered

5 February 2021

An international research team, including academics from The Open University, have discovered new genes that determine the shape of a person’s facial profile. Researchers identified 32 gene regions that affect our facial features such as the nose, lip, jaw, and brow shape. Nine of these were gene regions never known before, while the other 23 […]

Mars: how scientists prevent Earth’s microbes from contaminating other planets

5 February 2021

There are two planned Mars landings in 2021. First, Nasa’s Perseverance rover is due to land on the planet later this month. Then China’s Tianwen rover will follow in May. Both missions intend to search the planet for signs of life. Dr Thomas Cheney, Lecturer in Space Governance at The Open University, explains more. But […]

One step closer to building habitats on the Moon

27 January 2021

A team of lunar scientists from The Open University (OU) and the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) are making advances in building permanent structures on the Moon’s surface. OU researchers Dr Sungwoo Lim, Professor Mahesh Anand, Dr James Bowen, Dr Giulia Degli Alessandrini, Vibha Levin Prabhu and Aidan Crowley, a researcher from the EAC, investigated the […]

Analyst by day and student by night, Abiola shares his story with Gemma Cairney

22 January 2021

An inspiring data analyst from Greenwich, South East London, is the latest guest on a brand-new podcast series starting this month, hosted by broadcaster Gemma Cairney. Life … On Our Terms is an eight-episode podcast series from The Open University (OU) discussing a range of topics about life and the routes to success taken by […]

OU academic named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours

31 December 2020

Mark Brandon, Professor of Polar Oceanography, at The Open University has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year 2021 Honours for services to Polar Science. Mark has been at The Open University for 20 years and has been Professor of Polar Oceanography since 2018. He is also the Associate Dean of Enterprise and […]

Game your way into a new cyber career

21 December 2020

Most would agree that cyber security is no child’s play, but an Open University (OU) course is keen to borrow the latest gaming techniques to teach adults new skills in the field. OU tech experts have developed a new, FREE course teaching the basics of cyber security to beginners using game-based assessments, making the subject […]

A Perfect Planet: far reaching series set to air in New Year

19 December 2020

Can we really live in a perfect world? A Perfect Planet is a new, five-part natural history series co-produced by The Open University and the BBC, which explains why the Earth is just right for life, so long as we look after it. The series, set to air from Sunday 3 January 2021 at 8pm […]

Millions of electric cars will need charging in future – but how?

17 December 2020

Miguel Valdez, Lecturer in Technology and Innovation Management, Matthew Cook, Professor Innovation and Stephen Potter, Professor of Transport Strategy at The Open University discuss the future of electric cars in the UK and explains their research into wireless charging for cars. One consequence of Brexit is that Britain will desperately need a modernising industrial strategy. […]

Mars colony: how to make breathable air and fuel from brine – new research

1 December 2020

David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences, at The Open University, discusses new research from Washington University, which suggests that oxygen can be made on Mars using salty water found on the red planet. NASA is planning to land a crew on the Moon by 2024, and then onward to Mars, possibly in the 2030s. One […]

Ariel space mission moves one step closer to reality

17 November 2020

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) exoplanet mission Ariel, set to launch in 2029, has moved from study to implementation phase. Ariel, also known as the Atmospheric remote-sensing infrared exoplanet large-survey mission, will study what exoplanets are made of, how they are formed and how they evolve, by surveying a diverse sample of around 1000 planetary […]

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Category: Science, maths, computing and technology