The Open University

Are personal computers on their way out?

21 January 2016

As the media reports a record fall in sales of personal computers, Andrew Smith, Senior Lecturer in Networking at The Open University, writes about the changing needs and wants of consumers when it comes to tech… As global technology media lament the record decline in Personal Computer (PC) sales, I am sitting here in my […]

Open University women honoured in Royal Astronomical Society portraits

18 January 2016

100 years ago women finally won the right to be elected to fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society. To celebrate this anniversary, the society has commissioned 21 portraits of leading women in contemporary astronomy, which includes three academics from The Open University – more than any other institution represented. […]

Pregnant woman, holding in hands bouquet of daisy. Image credit: Thinkstock

‘50% increased risk of miscarriage’ due to thrush drug? OU statistician reveals the real risk to pregnant women

12 January 2016

Professor Kevin McConway, Professor of Applied Statistics, writes about the numbers behind the headlines and reveals the real risk of miscarriage to pregnant women who are taking a particular drug to treat thrush is nowhere near 50%… A recent article in the Daily Mail with the worrying headline “Pregnant women who take drug to treat […]

The magical Solar System discoveries we made in 2015

24 December 2015

It has been a busy year for Solar System exploration – and particularly our galactic neighbourhood’s small icy bodies. Comets, asteroids, Kuiper Belt Objects and planetary satellites have all been in the news – from stunning images of comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko at the start of the year, to the recent close-up of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, […]

Methane emissions in Arctic cold season higher than expected

22 December 2015

A major new study has found that, contrary to previous assumptions, the Arctic tundra releases at least as much methane during its cold season as it does during the summer. The study led by San Diego State University (SDSU) found that far more methane is escaping from Arctic tundra during the cold months when the […]

“A load of hot air? The carbon footprint of the Paris climate conference’s Twitter deluge”

18 December 2015

I am sure that it has not escaped you that there was a major climate change conference taking place in Paris recently. I won’t become embroiled in the climate debate, as everyone has an opinion. But I am interested in (or is it hot air) at events such as this — when they are shared […]

Space exploration – inspiring the next generation

18 December 2015

Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences, Monica Grady, drafted this letter in response to the article “Boldly Gone”, which was published in The Times on Friday 18 December 2015. Sir, It was my privilege to be in Baikonur to observe Major Tim Peake’s launch into space— not just another European Space Agency astronaut, but the first from the UK. I […]

Peake viewing: from bizarre astronaut traditions to awe-inspiring blast off

15 December 2015

Having spent days following him around, it was amazing to finally see the first official UK astronaut, Major Tim Peake, launched into space from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. He’s been through six years of training to get to this moment, and will do a six-month tour of duty on the International Space Station. I […]

Is it a dwarf planet, an asteroid or a comet?

10 December 2015

When Guiseppe Piazzi reported his observations of a minor planet in 1801, he originally thought it might be a comet. But follow-up observations by fellow astronomers suggested that Ceres was actually an asteroid. So it’s somewhat ironic that the latest results from NASA’s Dawn mission suggest this asteroid is confusingly similar to a comet. Dawn […]

Opened Padlock on digital background. Image: Thinkstock

Cyber attack causes universities across the country to lose internet connection

8 December 2015

Universities across the country have been losing internet connections today because of a cyber attack. The publicly-funded academic computer network has been affected by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack causing many universities, including The Open University, to lose connections, preventing access to external websites. The network, known as Janet, is responsible for the […]

OU News

Category: Science, maths, computing and technology