The Open University

The hidden history of reading – new research project opens up Europe’s book habits

5 September 2018

From Gulliver’s Travels to Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice to 1984 – what people have been reading for the past three centuries is under the microscope, with a new €1 million research project involving The Open University. Revealing Europe’s reading history 21st century digital tools – including an online database and smartphone app – are […]

Feet of female - obese - on weighing scales

Could being born to an obese mother increase your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease?

31 August 2018

Figures suggest that 1 in 3 of those born* each year in the UK will develop Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in their lifetime. The root causes of AD are not fully understood, however, scientists at The Open University (OU) are researching the link between this degenerative disease and those born to obese mothers. Senior Lecturer in […]

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

Scientists discover evidence of a water cycle on ancient Mars

29 August 2018

Scientists from The Open University (OU) have discovered a series of large fan-shaped sediment deposits on the surface of Mars. These suggest that Mars once had large seas on its surface and a water cycle similar to Earth. The research also shows when Mars’ climate went from being hospitable to the cold desert it is […]

No-deal Brexit: experts on what the UK government’s advice means

24 August 2018

The UK government is releasing a series of “technical notices” outlining what might happen if the country leaves the European Union without striking a deal for its future relationship with the bloc. While Dominic Raab,Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, stressed that this scenario was far from the preferred option, he added that […]

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, […]

Police in hi-visibility jackets policing crowd control at a UK event

Baseline Survey Report published: Implementing the Transformation of Police Learning and Development:

17 August 2018

The ‘Implementing the Transformation of Police Training, Learning and Development’ Project released their Baseline Survey Report this week. The project is led by the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), working in collaboration with The Open University’s Centre for Policing Research and Learning. 32 police forces in England and Wales contributed to the […]

Funding announced for almost 400 new doctoral places in arts and humanities

15 August 2018

The Open University, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge have been awarded funding by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to create a new training partnership for up to 400 doctoral students over five years. The Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership is a consortium of the three universities, underpinned by world-class research […]

Clearing 2018: Why choosing the OU could be the best decision you ever make

14 August 2018

In the top 20 UK Universities for student satisfaction, rated highly for its teaching and with a flexible model that means you can earn and learn, The Open University (OU) is an increasingly attractive choice for young people. Over a quarter of new entrants to the OU are now aged 23 and under, and the […]

Lady Gaga’s Twitter blunder and why speculating about suicide after a celebrity death is problematic

13 August 2018

Lady Gaga’s apology “if I spoke too soon” about the tragic passing of Rick Genest – a Canadian artist, actor, and fashion model, also known as Zombie Boy – highlights how difficult it can be to talk about sudden and unexpected deaths. The superstar who has 76m Twitter followers, retracted tweets that referred to Genest’s […]

We live in a populist age – but who are ‘the people’?

9 August 2018

Populism is seemingly sweeping the globe, threatening the established status quo. Optimistically, it promises to bring about much needed change to what appears to be a corrupt political and economic order. More ominously, it is dangerously promoting racism, sexism, xenophobia, jingoism, and attacking basic human rights around the world. It is therefore important not to […]

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