The Open University

OU receives slice of £1m Government funding to enhance space technology

19 March 2021

The Open University (OU) is leading on one of five UK space projects awarded over £1 million by the Government as part of its efforts to boost international innovation. The National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) International is the first fund dedicated to supporting the UK space sector through collaborations with international partners, designed to contribute […]

BBC/OU Co-Pro unveils the undiscovered life in sewage

18 March 2021

A fascinating look into the world of sewage and how scientists are searching for ways to upcycle human waste comes to our television screens this week. The Secret Science of Sewage a BBC/Open University co-production, explores the biology, chemistry, and history of feces – looking inside the tanks of one of the UK’s largest and […]

OU scientist with meteorite fragment in his hand

Unimaginable: The first scientist to confirm and identify extremely rare meteorite that fell to Earth

9 March 2021

Just over a week ago on Sunday 28th February at about 10pm a bright fireball lit up the sky. This was seen by over 1,000 eyewitnesses across the UK and northern Europe and the event was captured on meteor cameras and home surveillance systems. This created a flurry of excitement in the hunt for any […]

Barbara in LA-ICP-MS lab at The Open University. ©Stacy Phillips

Q&A: Dr Barbara Kunz – helping to advance our knowledge in Earth Sciences

5 March 2021

Meet Dr Barbara Kunz – a Geochemist, Petrologist and Project Officer at the School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences here at The Open University. Barbara is an expert in LA-ICP-MS analysis, which involves analysing trace elements of various geological material. As part of British Science Week 2021 Barbara shares an insight into the innovative […]

Doing it for the girls – OU student encourages more women to consider STEM

12 February 2021

In this week’s episode of The Open University’s podcast series, Life… On Our Terms, presenter and broadcaster, Gemma Cairney speaks to Jezanne, a Health Science student at the OU, who is balancing her degree with a thriving career in Medical Governance. Jezanne, aged 19 from Reading, Berkshire is currently studying towards a Bachelor’s in Healthcare […]

Mars: how scientists prevent Earth’s microbes from contaminating other planets

5 February 2021

There are two planned Mars landings in 2021. First, Nasa’s Perseverance rover is due to land on the planet later this month. Then China’s Tianwen rover will follow in May. Both missions intend to search the planet for signs of life. Dr Thomas Cheney, Lecturer in Space Governance at The Open University, explains more. But […]

Bees, birdsong and butterflies: public connects with nature during lockdown

1 December 2020

Whether it’s listening to birdsong, strolling along leafy paths or just staring upwards at a cloud arrangement, many of us have become struck by nature’s beauty in 2020. OU Pollinator Watch is a citizen science social project which ran on the award-winning nQuire platform as part of BBC2’s Springwatch and went live during the first […]

OU physicist receives national award for creating award-winning online lab

29 October 2020

Today, Professor Nicholas Braithwaite, of The Open University (OU), received a national award from the Institute of Physics (IOP) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to practical science. Professor Braithwaite was awarded the Lawrence Bragg medal and prize for developing the award-winning OpenSTEM Labs. Spearheaded by Professor Braithwaite, the flagship online laboratory for teaching practical […]

Coronavirus ‘excess deaths’: why England and Wales have been hardest hit in Europe – new study

14 October 2020

Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics at The Open University, speaks on the numbers behind the global pandemic and explains why England and Wales have experienced ‘high excess deaths’ in comparison to other countries. To get through the COVID-19 pandemic, we need good information. One hugely important statistic is how many people have died […]

OU research could improve mobility of Huntington’s patients

17 September 2020

A case study conducted by The Open University (OU) has found that wearable haptic devices – technology similar to a mobile phone vibrating at a set rhythm – could improve the mobility of people living with Huntington’s Disease. OU PhD student Riasat Islam and former OU PhD student Dr Theodoros Georgiou, used haptic rhythmic cueing […]

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