The Open University

Some like it hot – OU scientist explains the mission to Mercury

19 October 2018

The BepiColombo spacecraft blasted off into space, bound for Mercury in the early hours of Saturday 20th October from French Guyana and travel 9 billion km to reach Mercury in 2025. The hope is that its findings will help uncover the mysteries of the least explored planet in the inner Solar System and the closest […]

Mount Etna: volcano is sliding towards the sea and now we know why

11 October 2018

The southeast flank of Mount Etna in Sicily is sliding towards the sea at a rate of several centimetres a year. This might not sound like much, but the kind of stress that this movement creates inside volcanoes can cause devastating landslides. If, one day, Etna’s movement significantly increases then it could have serious consequences. […]

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell wins physics prize

6 September 2018

One of The Open University’s early female physics tutors has received the Breakthrough Prize for the discovery of radio pulsars. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell intends to donate the £2.3m prize money to help women and under-represented ethnic minority students to become physics researchers. The money will be given to the Institute of Physics to fund […]

An iceberg floating in the Antarctic Ocean

One trillion tonne iceberg spins out to sea

5 September 2018

One of the world’s largest icebergs – four times the size of London – has broken away from Antarctic shores and started spinning towards the open ocean. Scientists are trying to predict where it’s heading, and Professor in Polar Oceanography at The Open University (OU), Mark Brandon, is one of those tracking its progress. “Spectacular […]

Apples in a grid pattern with bright background

Curious Kids: how does gravity pull things down to Earth?

20 August 2018

This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children of all ages. The Conversation is asking young people to send in questions they’d like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome: find details on how to enter at the bottom. How does gravity pull things down to Earth? – Gabriel, age four, […]

We know there is water on Mars – what next?

31 July 2018

The age old question of whether Mars has ever supported life is the focus of the latest research from scientists at The Open University (OU). With over half a million pounds of funding from the UK Space Agency, they will be exploring the chemistry of the martian environment to determine if life has ever existed, […]

New Research Network to support the UK’s Food Manufacturing Digital Economy

31 July 2018

A new project has been launched to examine how the Internet of Things (IoT) could transform the food industry through innovations such as ‘smart’ cooking appliances, data-driven supermarket refrigeration networks and enhanced food traceability systems. The Internet of Food Things (IoFT) Network Plus will bring together data and computer scientists, chemists, and economists to investigate […]

OU launches plastic waste initiative with BBC

28 July 2018

Following the impact of Blue Planet II, The Open University (OU) and the BBC have launched an online platform, which brings together programmes and resources to help us understand plastics, the impact they have on the environment, and top tips to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics. Plastics Watch brings together engaging and interactive content […]

From cradle to grave – new model identifies factors that have shaped evolution

20 July 2018

Research involving scientists from The Open University (OU) published today in Science brings us closer to understanding how the complex interactions between topography (especially mountain ranges) and climate change influence the evolutionary histories and biodiversity of species in the Earth’s natural ecosystems. In a major step forward, the international team of researchers from the University […]

Tropical forests can recover from destructive impact of human activity, suggests OU research

16 July 2018

New research The Open University published in Nature Ecology and Evolution reveals that tropical forests may be more resilient to the effects of our behaviour than previously thought and offers hope that, if undisturbed, tropical forests may be able to recover from the harmful effects of human activity. Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) […]

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Category: Science