The Open University

Volcanic emissions caused the warmest period in past 56m years – new study

31 August 2017

To predict what type of Earth lies ahead of us, we scientists usually turn to complex computer simulations. But how can we test whether these models are remotely accurate? Perhaps the best solution is to turn to instances in the geological past when Earth’s climate experienced similarly rapid warming. One such event is the Palaeocene-Eocene […]

Soapbox Science MK 2017: how to make a mountain and the stories seashells tell

24 July 2017

Science is all about furthering our understanding of ourselves, the planet, and the Universe. Two Female academics from the OU will be sharing their love of research with members of the public in Milton Keynes at Soapbox Science MK 2017. Lecturer in Environment, Earth, and Ecosystems Sciences, Dr Pallavi Anand, and PhD Researcher, Stacy Phillips, […]

How your pile of laundry fills the sea with plastic pollution

4 July 2017

Microplastic pollution is one of the newest environmental issues on the block. After decades of intense observation and campaigning by conservation groups, awareness of microplastic pollution has fortunately grown. There is now worldwide concern about tiny pieces of plastic litter that are having a harmful impact on marine species and habitats. Large plastic litter has […]

OU professor elected as President of the Geological Society of London

30 June 2017

Professor of Earth Sciences, Nick Rogers, has recently been elected to the role of President of the Geological Society of London. The role has been designated following his 20 year fellowship to the Society, the six years he has spent serving on the Council, and in recognition of his standing in scientific research. Founded in […]

The environmental costs of Trump’s wall

13 February 2017

It looks like Donald Trump’s “great, great wall” is actually going to happen. Its likely impact on human society has been well-noted, but in the longer-term a barrier across an entire continent will also have severe ecological consequences. The US-Mexico border is around 1,900 miles (3,100 km) long and some of it has already been […]

How booming Havana can avoid the traffic and pollution that plagues most middle-income cities

1 December 2016

The classic 1950s cars on the streets of Havana are much admired by foreigners, yet the reality for most Cubans is a lot more mundane. For them, owning a car – any car – remains a dream, albeit one which has been reawakened by economic reforms and moves towards normalising relations with the US. But […]

Pupils at Kings Ely Junior School try out Virtual Reality equipment

Open University and Google bring virtual reality into schools

28 September 2016

The Open University (OU) is taking school children to the Great Barrier Reef, Everest and volcanoes with new virtual reality technology in the classroom. Through virtual reality technology called Google Expeditions, students are given virtual field trips to places that may be practically difficult or impossible for them to visit – such as The Great […]

An artist impression oF the surface of the Planet Mars four billion years ago

Mars had climate similar to Earth, concludes OU research

30 August 2016

It has been an amazing week for the world of Astronomy. With the discovery of an Earth-sized planet orbiting our nearest stellar neighbour within a zone that could support life, we are again forced to question whether we are alone. Now, a team of scientists from The Open University and several other UK and US institutes […]

How a ‘weather bomb’ shook the Earth – and why that’s not an earthquake

26 August 2016

The Earth beneath your feet is “humming” all the time. Typically these vibrations are too faint and low-frequency for your ears to hear. But they can be detected by seismometers, the instruments designed to study the generally more powerful vibrations that emanate from earthquakes. Now researchers have used an array of seismometers in Japan to […]

Three Open University soapbox scientists in their lab coats

Soapbox Science: Raising the profile of women in science

5 July 2016

A trio of female scientists from the OU will be sharing their love of science at the first ever Milton Keynes Soapbox Science event. Claire Batty, a researcher; Dr Julia Cooke, a lecturer in ecology; and PhD researcher Vibha Srivastava will each ‘stand on their soapboxes’ at Middleton Hall at thecentre:mk in Milton Keynes from […]

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Category: Science