The Open University

Coronavirus: the meaning behind the figures

3 April 2020

Dr Helen Wimalarathna, an infectious disease epidemiologist at The Open University, explains the figures behind the coronavirus outbreak. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues, it can feel as though we are being bombarded with statistics. A few early cases have turned into thousands, the number of deaths globally has passed 35,000. The scale of the […]

OU awarded £2.5 million to further success in planetary sciences

30 March 2020

The Open University (OU) has received £2.5 million from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to fund research in planetary sciences, building on the university’s 50 years in space science. Scientists from the School of Physical Sciences have been awarded the grant to further their research in the origin and evolution of the Solar […]

OU scientists make hand sanitiser to support frontline professionals in Milton Keynes

27 March 2020

The Open University (OU) is supporting local efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) by producing much-needed hand sanitiser for healthcare professionals in Milton Keynes. With the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been unprecedented demand for hand sanitiser from the public and across the healthcare landscape, which has caused a national shortage. Scientists from […]

OU researcher calls for national approach to end rough sleeping in bins

24 February 2020

Growing numbers of rough sleepers in the UK have given rise to people taking shelter in bins, which OU research finds is putting their lives in danger. An Open University (OU) environmental researcher is urging waste producers, homelessness services and waste operators to help put a stop to this life-threatening practice. Dr Toni Gladding, Senior […]

Infection disease expert discusses the coronavirus

14 February 2020

Cases of the coronavirus (Covid-19) are growing with more than 47,000 laboratory confirmed cases worldwide, nine of them in the UK to date. But what do we know about the virus and can the UK deal with an outbreak of this kind? Dr Helen Wimalarathna, an infectious disease epidemiologist, discusses the virus, the spread of […]

Asteroid was “sole driver” of dinosaur demise

17 January 2020

Science experts from around the globe say they have solved the longstanding debate of what really killed the dinosaurs. According to a study, published in Science, conducted by researchers from The Open University, UCL, Yale and the University of Southampton, an asteroid impact caused the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years […]

Climate crisis: six steps to making fossil fuels history

3 December 2019

Dr Stephen Peake, Senior Lecturer in Environment at The Open University writes for The Conversation about the climate crisis. In shouting “system change not climate change”, young people understand that the 3-4℃ warmer world we’re headed for would be far more painful, costly and disruptive than any short-term costs or inconvenience we face from taking […]

OU team gives go ahead to bring Mars’ moon pieces to Earth

2 December 2019

A UK team led by the Open University has given the green light for Mars’ moon material to be transported to Earth as part of a forthcoming mission. The team, led by the OU’s Dr Manish Patel, a renowned expert on Mars exploration, gave the thumbs up for a new Japanese mission to bring pieces […]

OU technician honoured as ‘truly inspiring’ at THE Awards 2019

29 November 2019

Dr Barbara Kunz, an Analytical Laboratory Technician at The Open University has won the Outstanding Technician of the Year category at this year’s Times Higher Education Awards. Presented last night (Thursday 28 November) at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, Dr Kunz beat off competition from seven other shortlisted universities to be […]

How one NHS anaesthetist is fighting international medical research fraud

8 October 2019

Professor Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics at The Open University writes for The Conversation about fraud in medical research. John Carlisle is a consultant anaesthetist at Torbay Hospital on England’s south coast. Unless you’ve been one of his patients, you’ve probably never heard of him. But he’s a researcher too, and he’s developed statistical […]

OU News

Category: Science