OU News

News from The Open University

  1. Home
  2. Category: Science, maths, computing and technology

Category: Science, maths, computing and technology

Appendix removal: does it really increase your risk of getting Parkinson’s disease?

Appendix removal: does it really increase your risk of getting Parkinson’s disease?

Kevin McConway, The Open University writing for The Conversation. Recent scary press reports suggest that having your appendix out could triple your risk of getting Parkinson’s disease. Given that there is currently no cure for this neurodegenerative condition, people who have had their appendix out might be quite worried. But worrying, at this point, would […]

Read more about Appendix removal: does it really increase your risk of getting Parkinson’s disease?

Hannah Sargeant in her lab

To the moon and back – OU student Hannah on breaking boundaries

Hannah Sargeant spends her days exploring the universe. As a planetary scientist and PhD researcher at The Open University, Hannah, 26, is fulfilling her childhood dream by researching all corners of the solar system. During her career, Hannah has been involved with international research projects to support a series of missions to the Moon, ultimately supporting future […]

Read more about To the moon and back – OU student Hannah on breaking boundaries

Vincent Deguin

Shooting for the stars (and beyond)

How did the planets in our solar system come to be? This is just one of the questions PhD student Vincent Deguin, 28, and his fellow planetary scientists at The Open University are exploring. Vincent is working on pioneering research into the earliest stage of planet formation, building and testing equipment that will help to […]

Read more about Shooting for the stars (and beyond)

Asteroids heading towards earth

How did the Earth get its water? Asteroid sample gives a surprising answer

Monica Grady, The Open University writing for The Conversation. Water is essential for life on Earth and is one of our most precious natural resources. But considering how our planet formed, it is quite surprising how much water we still have. The Earth aggregated from a cloud of gas and dust – a protoplanetary disk […]

Read more about How did the Earth get its water? Asteroid sample gives a surprising answer

Colin Pillinger

Spotlight on OU Research Projects at 50

As The Open University celebrates its 50 anniversary, we look back at some of the research projects which have shaped the course of OU research over the last 50 years. First ever landing on a comet The arrival of Professor Colin Pillinger (featured above) and his planetary science research group from Cambridge in 1983 – […]

Read more about Spotlight on OU Research Projects at 50

Felix Asare-Donkoh pictured in uniform

Studying while serving overseas

Felix Asare-Donkoh, 30, joined the armed forces soon after completing his A-levels in Cardiff, but realised he was still keen to continue his education. Usually, this would mean leaving the army to study full-time, but by choosing to study with The Open University in Wales, Felix was able to study for his Bachelors in Engineering […]

Read more about Studying while serving overseas

First results from Mars mission revealed

First results from Mars mission revealed

The first results from the ExoMars mission – which includes instruments led by The Open University – give new evidence in the debate over whether methane (a key indicator of life) exists on the Red Planet. The results, feature in two papers published in the journal Nature show a surprise lack of methane and also […]

Read more about First results from Mars mission revealed

Does nature sound good to you?  Huge new national experiment part of major collaboration with BBC

Does nature sound good to you? Huge new national experiment part of major collaboration with BBC

Could listening to nature improve your health? It’s widely acknowledged that spending time in natural environments boosts people’s mood, but little is known about what part sound plays. Now, a new national experiment using The Open University’s nQuire platform is conducting one of the biggest investigations into the therapeutic effects of sound.  The nQuire platform […]

Read more about Does nature sound good to you? Huge new national experiment part of major collaboration with BBC

Mars

Methane on Mars: a new discovery or just a lot of hot air?

  The discovery of life on Mars would get pretty much everyone excited. But the scientists hunting for it would probably be happy no matter what the outcome of their search – whether life turned out to extinct, dormant or extant. They’d even consider finding no evidence of life whatsoever to be an important discovery. […]

Read more about Methane on Mars: a new discovery or just a lot of hot air?

flooding India

Research reveals role of Indian Summer Monsoon on global climate stage

A study by an international research team led by The Open University (OU) has revealed new insights to help understand the historical importance of the Indian Summer Monsoon. The study shows how the Monsoon acted as a conduit for moving heat and moisture during a period of climate transition, thousands of years ago. • Study […]

Read more about Research reveals role of Indian Summer Monsoon on global climate stage

Page 36 of 57