The Open University

Infection disease expert discusses the coronavirus

14 February 2020

Cases of the coronavirus (Covid-19) are growing with more than 47,000 laboratory confirmed cases worldwide, nine of them in the UK to date. But what do we know about the virus and can the UK deal with an outbreak of this kind? Dr Helen Wimalarathna, an infectious disease epidemiologist, discusses the virus, the spread of […]

Asteroid was “sole driver” of dinosaur demise

17 January 2020

Science experts from around the globe say they have solved the longstanding debate of what really killed the dinosaurs. According to a study, published in Science, conducted by researchers from The Open University, UCL, Yale and the University of Southampton, an asteroid impact caused the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years […]

Open University set to train West Midlands residents in next-gen cyber skills

13 January 2020

Computer experts from The Open University (OU) will roll out a FREE cyber programme for residents across the West Midlands. The Open University has created a specialist cyber programme to provide industry standard training for residents across the region. Funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) as part of the Beat the Bots Fund, […]

OU researchers make new discoveries set to reveal the geology of planets outside our Solar System

23 December 2019

Three OU astronomers today announce ground-breaking discoveries allowing scientists to understand planets outside our Solar System. Professor Carole Haswell, Dr Daniel Staab and Dr John Barnes discovered three, new, nearby planetary systems. Research led by Professor Haswell found the exoplanets – planets outside the Solar System – as part of the Dispersed Matter Planet Project […]

Professor Monica Grady named as Liverpool Hope University’s new Chancellor

11 December 2019

Leading space expert Professor Monica Grady is to become Liverpool Hope University’s new Chancellor. Monica Grady is Professor of Planetary and Space Science at The Open University and is known for her work on meteorites. She was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa by Liverpool Hope during the Summer 2019 Graduation celebrations. As […]

Climate crisis: six steps to making fossil fuels history

3 December 2019

Dr Stephen Peake, Senior Lecturer in Environment at The Open University writes for The Conversation about the climate crisis. In shouting “system change not climate change”, young people understand that the 3-4℃ warmer world we’re headed for would be far more painful, costly and disruptive than any short-term costs or inconvenience we face from taking […]

OU team gives go ahead to bring Mars’ moon pieces to Earth

2 December 2019

A UK team led by the Open University has given the green light for Mars’ moon material to be transported to Earth as part of a forthcoming mission. The team, led by the OU’s Dr Manish Patel, a renowned expert on Mars exploration, gave the thumbs up for a new Japanese mission to bring pieces […]

OU technician honoured as ‘truly inspiring’ at THE Awards 2019

29 November 2019

Dr Barbara Kunz, an Analytical Laboratory Technician at The Open University has won the Outstanding Technician of the Year category at this year’s Times Higher Education Awards. Presented last night (Thursday 28 November) at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, Dr Kunz beat off competition from seven other shortlisted universities to be […]

Titan: first global map uncovers secrets of a potentially habitable moon of Saturn

20 November 2019

David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University, writes for The Conversation about a potentially habitable moon of Saturn. There are just three moons in our solar system that measure more than 5,000km across. Of these, Jupiter’s moons Ganymede and Callisto are airless and have ancient heavily cratered surfaces. But Saturn’s largest moon, […]

OU researcher develops tech set to transform political debates

20 November 2019

An OU researcher has developed a new, innovative, digital platform to harness public engagement during televised election debates. Dr Anna De Liddo, Senior Research Fellow in the OU’s Knowledge Media Institute, created the audience feedback tool in collaboration with political scientists Professor Stephen Coleman and Dr Giles Moss, and typography researcher Paul Wilson from the […]

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Category: Science, maths, computing and technology