The Open University

No simple fix to climate variation extremes – just better management

25 July 2023

As southern Europe and parts of the USA and Asia sizzle in unbearable record-breaking heat, Dr Kevin Collins, senior lecturer in the environment and systems, from The Open University gives a stark warning – there’s no simple fix to the variation in climate change, only improved management. While the UK isn’t frying it’s just a […]

From Army veteran to space scientist

3 October 2022

When Open University graduate Ian Muirhead isn’t searching for moons and exoplanets, he’s inspiring the next generation of space scientists to reach for the stars. It’s a career he never dreamed possible when he left school at 15 without any qualifications. Over 20 years’ on and Ian tells us he couldn’t be happier making the […]

Prehistoric Planet: TV show asked us to explore what weather the dinosaurs lived through

27 May 2022

Robert Spicer from The Open University; Alex Farnsworth from University of Bristol and Paul Valdes from University of Bristol write for The Conversation about the new TV series, Prehistoric Planet. When conjuring up images of when dinosaurs ruled the planet we often think of hot and humid landscapes in a world very different from our own. However, the new […]

Extensive approach to climate change education will prepare learners for the future

18 October 2021

Climate change study needs to be embedded in higher education at all levels to prepare learners for their roles in work and wider society, says a new paper co-authored by an OU Associate Lecturer. The bold, rapid action needed to tackle the climate and ecological crisis offers an unparalleled opportunity for higher education institutions, argues […]

How nuclear energy can help make all UK electricity green by 2035

7 October 2021

Written by William Nuttall, Professor of Energy at The Open University. Boris Johnson is set to announce at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester that all of Britain’s electricity will come from renewable sources by 2035, according to a recent report in the Times.The government suspects that the British public – tired of petrol station queues […]

OU scientist hails space probes first close-up pictures of Mercury

4 October 2021

The joint European (ESA) and Japanese (JAXA) Space Agencies’ mission BepiColombo swung past its destination planet Mercury at only 200 km above the surface in the early hours of 2 October and sent back some spectacular pictures. David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University has been closely associated with the mission for […]

OU academics get funding for Mars research

15 September 2021

Martians may be the preserve of 20th Century science fiction writers but planetary scientists are still fascinated with Mars and the possibility that primitive life-forms once existed – and if evidence of that remains today. Now two Open University academics have been awarded combined funding of over £200,000 to help unlock the secrets of the […]

OU astronomer part of international team that captures galaxies in ultra-high definition

18 August 2021

An international team of astronomers have published the most detailed images ever seen of galaxies beyond our own, revealing their inner workings and black-hole activity in unprecedented detail. The images were created from data collected by the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), a network of more than 70,000 small antennae spread across nine European countries. The […]

OU’s teaching excellence recognised by national award

6 August 2021

Dr Victoria (Vic) Pearson, Senior Lecturer in the School of Physical Sciences at The Open University, has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in the 2021 National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS). The NTFS recognises excellence in teaching and celebrates individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession. Vic has […]

Scientists from the OU and Harvard publish new findings to help fight against skin cancer

4 August 2021

A new study by an international team of researchers, including academics from The Open University and Harvard University, has had its findings published in the journal Cell. They have presented the discovery of a new mechanism that can darken the colour of human skin as a natural defence against ultraviolet (UV)-associated cancers. Melanin, the dark […]

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Category: Science