The Open University

First results from Mars mission revealed

11 April 2019

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 […]

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

2 April 2019

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 […]

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

2 April 2019

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. […]

Research reveals role of Indian Summer Monsoon on global climate stage

18 March 2019

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 […]

Proving you’re never too glamorous for Science

13 March 2019

Amy King has been a science enthusiast from a very young age. Her school told her that “science isn’t for girls”; she proved them wrong by achieving straight As at college. A university interviewer told her she was “too glamorous to be a scientist”. Since then, Amy has enrolled on a BSc in Natural Sciences […]

Space know-how helping to “sniff out” salad freshness

11 March 2019

Open University scientists are part of a UK team developing new technology which will be able to “smell” when fruit or vegetables are going off. It’s hoped the test could potentially save tonnes of waste. According to the UK waste advisory body WRAP, 1.2million tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables are wasted each year. A UK-based […]

There are missing objects at the fringe of the solar system – new study puzzles astronomers

1 March 2019

Professor David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University discusses a new method to help see the unseen bodies that are in the Kuiper belt. In the dimly lit spaces of our solar system beyond Neptune’s orbit lies the Kuiper Belt. This a region between about 35 and 50 times further from the sun than […]

Researchers challenge sea level stats, but warn forecast still poor

7 February 2019

Researchers, including academics from The Open University (OU), say predictions about rising sea levels may not be as high as feared. But they warn that unless there is a drastic reduction in carbon emissions, sea levels will keep rising. In a research paper, just published in the journal Nature, they suggest that sea level rise could […]

Karolien Verheyen: Sarcoidosis diagnosis was my study inspiration

7 February 2019

In 2007, Karolien Verheyen was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a rare condition that causes small patches of red and swollen tissue (granulomas) to develop in the body’s organs. Her diagnosis led Karolien to find out more about how the human body functions and she registered for a module in human biology with The Open University, later […]

Institute of Coding marks its first anniversary with the OU

28 January 2019

The Open University (OU) is celebrating its partnership with the Institute of Coding (IoC), created in January 2018. In just 12 months, IoC partners have successfully signed-up over 5,000 people onto its leading tech courses at universities across the country. To date a total of 5,875 people enrolled onto courses, with 175 staff members employed across […]

OU News

Category: Science, maths, computing and technology