The Open University

Solar system with seven Earth-like planets found around nearby star – here’s what they could be like

22 February 2017

There have been many discoveries of potentially habitable planets orbiting stars other than our own over the last few years. Now things are getting even more exciting. Scientists have documented a star surrounded by no fewer than seven Earth-like planets – several or all of which could be at the right temperature for liquid water, […]

Dr Michael Mosley, The Secrets of Your Food

OU programme explores the mysterious science of food

20 February 2017

In a three-part BBC series, broadcaster and scientist, Dr Michael Mosley, and celebrated botanist, James Wong, take us on an exploration of the science behind our everyday food. Produced in partnership with The Open University and broadcast on BBC Two from Friday 24 February 2017, 21:00, The Secrets of Your Food celebrates the biology, chemistry, […]

Organic molecules found on giant asteroid Ceres – why that’s such a huge deal

17 February 2017

Sometimes, I think scientists are just that little bit too modest. A new paper in Science has a humdinger of a title: “Localized aliphatic organic material on the surface of Ceres”. It doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue and may not even seem that important. But what the researchers have discovered is a huge deal. […]

Why there is such an enormous demand for drugs in British prisons

15 February 2017

The BBC’s Panorama documentary on HMP Northumberland recently put the problem of drug taking in prisons firmly under the spotlight. The terrible harms that psychoactive drugs create for both prisoners and prison officers were laid bare – secretly recorded footage showed prisoners overdosing on drugs, prisoners threatening an officer with a weapon, and one prison […]

The environmental costs of Trump’s wall

13 February 2017

It looks like Donald Trump’s “great, great wall” is actually going to happen. Its likely impact on human society has been well-noted, but in the longer-term a barrier across an entire continent will also have severe ecological consequences. The US-Mexico border is around 1,900 miles (3,100 km) long and some of it has already been […]

Four ways Britain could guarantee the right to remain for EU citizens after Brexit

12 February 2017

During the second reading of the bill that will give the government the go-ahead to trigger Britain’s exit from the European Union, MPs had a chance to safeguard the rights of EU citizens after Brexit. An amendment, tabled by Labour MP Harriet Harman, would have forced the government to preserve the current residence rights of […]

OU celebrates impact of women in science

10 February 2017

Nations throughout the world will be celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2017 tomorrow (11 February 2017). Established by the United Nations (UN) in 2016, the occasion celebrates women and girls in science, and aims to eliminate gender inequality in academia, education, and industry. In honour of this, we are celebrating the achievements […]

Open University VC announces need for change

9 February 2017

The Open University has started a root and branch review of its work to ensure it is fit to face the growing challenges of the future. The University’s traditional market – part-time higher education – is under threat from a decline in student numbers and potential competition from new providers. The Higher Education and Research […]

The language of call centres and why it can “offend the ears”

9 February 2017

Most of us dread dealing with them, but call centres are hard to avoid as an increasingly widespread aspect of modern life. Now a new study from The Open University, published in the Journal of Sociolinguistics, has opened up the world of call centres and examined how pressurized call centre agents take short cuts to […]

Romania protests: what caused the biggest uprising since the fall of communism?

8 February 2017

Romania recently saw the largest demonstrations on its streets since the fall of communism. On February 5, more than half a million people took part in protests across the country. The marches came in response to an emergency decree passed by the recently elected PSD-ALDE government – a coalition of the PSD (Social Democratic Party) […]

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