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Animated image of dinosaurs

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

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 […]

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green campus

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

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 […]

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

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

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 […]

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

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

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 […]

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OU academics get funding for Mars research

OU academics get funding for Mars research

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 […]

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

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

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 […]

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One line drawing of winner trophy

OU’s teaching excellence recognised by national award

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 […]

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

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

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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UK scientists join NASA’s first steps back to the Moon – and onward to Mars

UK scientists join NASA’s first steps back to the Moon – and onward to Mars

A team of scientists from The Open University (OU) and RAL Space are collaborating with ESA and NASA to investigate the occurrence and behaviour of water on the Moon. Led by the OU’s Dr. Simeon Barber, the UK team has developed a sophisticated analytical instrument known as the Exospheric Mass Spectrometer (EMS) under a contract […]

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OU research finds human impacts on monsoon rainfall could exceed natural changes over last 30 million years

OU research finds human impacts on monsoon rainfall could exceed natural changes over last 30 million years

A study by a team from the Open University (OU) has had its findings published in leading science journal Nature Communications Findings at a glance Study shows that the long-term evolution of East Asian Monsoon rainfall was driven by the rising Himalayas, but Indian Monsoon rainfall is sensitive to a complex mix of drivers, with […]

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