The Open University

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 […]

Twin civilisations? How life on an exoplanet could spread to its neighbour

3 December 2015

Imagine two nearby exoplanets orbiting the same sun, each with its own indigenous civilisation. They’re going through history either as companionable neighbours or deadly rivals. This is a familiar situation in science fiction, but could it ever happen? With the rapidly growing number of habitable exoplanets being discovered, this scenario may seem plausible. Now a […]

Can Christmas tree lights really play havoc with your Wi-Fi?

1 December 2015

Before we all declare that this is a bit of “Bah Humbug!”, it’s correct that your Christmas fairy lights really could be a Wi-Fi downer. But then so could many other devices. Ultimately, it is a matter of how much of a problem they actually cause. The science behind the warning Casting your minds back […]

New research concludes sea-level rise may be slower than first thought

20 November 2015

A new international study by scientists from the UK and France has concluded that, whilst melting ice in Antarctica will contribute to sea-level rise over the next century, the consequences may not be as serious as first thought. Published in the respected academic journal, Nature, the study predicts the consequences of the retreat of the […]

The five most Earth-like exoplanets (so far)

19 November 2015

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read that the “first Earth-like exoplanet” has been discovered. With nearly 2000 exoplanets found to date, it is no wonder so many of them will resemble our planet in some way. But which exoplanets are similar enough to the Earth that they could actually be habitable? […]

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Category: Science, maths, computing and technology