The Open University

Soapbox Science MK 2017: how to make a mountain and the stories seashells tell

24 July 2017

Science is all about furthering our understanding of ourselves, the planet, and the Universe. Two Female academics from the OU will be sharing their love of research with members of the public in Milton Keynes at Soapbox Science MK 2017. Lecturer in Environment, Earth, and Ecosystems Sciences, Dr Pallavi Anand, and PhD Researcher, Stacy Phillips, […]

Prejudice & Pride: The People’s History of LGBTQ Britain

24 July 2017

A new BBC/Open University co-production will take a look back at the 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality – from the perspective of the people who lived through them. Prejudice & Pride: The People’s History of LGBTQ Britain begins on Thursday 27 July, on BBC Four, at 9pm. In 1967 the Sexual Offences […]

Robots – friend or foe? New OU/BBC series explores the rise of the robots

19 July 2017

Are robots our companions or could they become our greatest rivals? In a special two-part series, electronics engineer, Professor Danielle George, and evolutionary biologist, Dr Ben Garrod, explore everything from driverless cars, to a robot destined to set up home for us on Mars. An obsession with robots in human form Produced in partnership with […]

Addicted Parents: Last Chance to Keep My Children

18 July 2017

Addicted Parents: Last Chance to Keep My Children is a new OU/BBC TV co-production telling the stories of residents at Phoenix Futures’ Specialist Family Service – the only family rehab in the UK, where children live with their addicted parents as they recover. These parents have six months to get clean or they will lose their […]

Research will study family relations impact on mental health of young LGBQ

13 July 2017

The OU is co-investigator on a new research project to examine the impact of family relationships on the mental health of young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ). Open University Professor Jacqui Gabb, Chair of Sociology and Intimacy, is co-investigator with Dr Elizabeth McDermott, a senior lecturer in Health and Medicine […]

Net neutrality is worth saving, but business bias is a concern, says OU academic

13 July 2017

In the light of protests against threats to “net neutrality” by many of the big internet giants recently the OU’s Robert Herian, Lecturer in Law, explains why its such a worthy cause yet warns one must still be conscious of the competitive bias which exists online already: “The importance of maintaining net neutrality cannot be overstated […]

The real reason you can’t quit Facebook? Maybe it’s because you can judge your friends

12 July 2017

Facebook recently announced that it now has over 2 billion monthly users. This makes its “population” larger than that of China, the US, Mexico and Japan combined. Its popularity, and with it the influence it has in society, is beyond dispute. But for many the experience of actually using the site fluctuates somewhere between the […]

The BepiColombo spacecraft is ready to solve the many mysteries of Mercury

11 July 2017

The €1.65 billion BepiColombo spacecraft is now being unstacked for final tests after being displayed in its launch configuration to the world’s press at the European Space Agency’s Space Technology and Research Centre. The six-metre high assembly will soon be shipped to Kourou in French Guyana where it is anticipated to launch in October 2018. […]

OU joins new EU research to track radicalisation online

10 July 2017

The OU is among more than 20 partners across Europe launching a new research project to examine online radicalisation. The project, called Trivalent, will look at ways to protect citizens around the globe from being targeted, and potentially enticed into endorsing and propagating violent radical content. Comprehensive understanding The OU’s part in the project is led […]

Robotic telescopes COAST and PIRATE / Credit: Alan Cayless (The Open University)

OU brings astronomical telescopes to students in their home

5 July 2017

The OU Faculty of STEM is celebrating the inauguration of its remotely-controlled robotic telescopes, which will bring astronomy and space science to life for students whenever and wherever they are in the world. For almost half a century, the OU has been developing the latest digital technology to enhance the learning experience of students. The inauguration of […]

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