The Open University

Are personal computers on their way out?

21 January 2016

As the media reports a record fall in sales of personal computers, Andrew Smith, Senior Lecturer in Networking at The Open University, writes about the changing needs and wants of consumers when it comes to tech… As global technology media lament the record decline in Personal Computer (PC) sales, I am sitting here in my […]

Open University women honoured in Royal Astronomical Society portraits

18 January 2016

100 years ago women finally won the right to be elected to fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society. To celebrate this anniversary, the society has commissioned 21 portraits of leading women in contemporary astronomy, which includes three academics from The Open University – more than any other institution represented. […]

Row of Iran Flags in Front of Tehran Skyline

Stability and cooperation is an asset for Iran, as tough sanctions are lifted

18 January 2016

Dr Edward Wastnidge, Lecturer in Politics and International Studies, outlines the importance of sanctions against Iran being lifted… The lifting of punitive economic sanctions against Iran is an important moment, not only due to the economic benefits that the Islamic Republic should see as a result, but also in terms of the wider political shift […]

Row of university graduates holding their scrolls. Image: Thinkstock

OU says Government must consider all study options

15 January 2016

The Open University has called on the Government to make sure it considers the full range of study options available to students as it develops its higher education policy. In November 2015, the Government published a Green Paper on the future of higher education, with a focus on giving students greater choice and encouraging inclusivity. The document […]

Girl doing computer research in a library. Image credit: Thinkstock

Useful tool or approach with caution? 15 years of Wikipedia

15 January 2016

As Wikipedia celebrates its 15th anniversary, OU Learning and Teaching Librarian Geraldine Smith explains the pros and cons of using it for study… Wikipedia celebrates being 15 years old on 15th January 2016. What it is? Set up in 2001 Wikipedia is one of the largest reference websites on the internet and as of September […]

Pregnant woman, holding in hands bouquet of daisy. Image credit: Thinkstock

‘50% increased risk of miscarriage’ due to thrush drug? OU statistician reveals the real risk to pregnant women

12 January 2016

Professor Kevin McConway, Professor of Applied Statistics, writes about the numbers behind the headlines and reveals the real risk of miscarriage to pregnant women who are taking a particular drug to treat thrush is nowhere near 50%… A recent article in the Daily Mail with the worrying headline “Pregnant women who take drug to treat […]

David Bowie: A bio-obituary

12 January 2016

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring,” said the late David Bowie back in 1997. It’s a poignant statement given his death, aged 69, this week after an 18-month battle with cancer. And the OU’s Dr Frank Monaghan says it’s as applicable to his art as it […]

The ‘chain reaction’ triggered by terrorist events

8 January 2016

This post has been updated from the original article posted on January 8 2016. In the wake of the explosions in Jakarta and the first anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, the OU’s Professor Marie Gillespie reflects on some of the issues raised. In June last year she hosted a forum that brought […]

Scottish politics: looking ahead to the 2016 elections

6 January 2016

Dr Gerry Mooney, senior lecturer in social policy, gives his view on what lies ahead for Scottish politics as 2016 brings elections and the devolution of further powers from Westminster… Following on from the discussions around Scotland’s Constitutional future over the last few years, 2016 brings the Scottish Parliament elections. While these are entirely about the election of the […]

The obscure history of the ‘virgin’s disease’ that could be cured with sex

5 January 2016

Female virginity, we’re increasingly told, is a psychological rather than a physical condition. It’s not something that can be “lost” or “taken”. Not every woman has a hymen, and it’s rarely some tough barrier that keeps a woman “closed” and which has to break and bleed; instead, it’s a flexible set of folds of mucous […]

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