The Open University

Newly detected green light similar to the Aurora Borealis observed around Mars

15 June 2020

Open University (OU) scientists, as part of an international team, have identified a never-before-seen, green glow surrounding Mars with the same characteristics as the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Using the NOMAD-UVIS instrument onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), a joint space mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, […]

New study reveals mud volcanoes on Mars may flow like lava

18 May 2020

European researchers, including Dr Manish Patel, Dr Matt Balme and Dr Matthew Sylvest from The Open University(OU), have found that mud volcanoes on Mars may look similar to lava flows found on Earth. According to a study, published in Nature Geoscience, mud flows exposed to the low atmospheric pressures found on Mars will behave similar […]

Ancient rivers on Mars more than 3.7 billion years old

5 May 2020

Scientists from around the globe have discovered evidence of ancient rivers on Mars more than 3.7 billion years old, using high-resolution 3D imaging data. Sedimentary rocks, found in a 200-metre high Martian rocky cliff, formed by the ancient rivers proves that water was not only present on Mars, but the rivers were probably active for […]

OU develops world’s first COVID-19 digital immunity passport

24 April 2020

Tech experts from The Open University (OU) have developed the world’s first digital application to certify COVID-19 immunity test results. Researchers from the OU’s Knowledge Media Institute have created a prototype mobile phone app that enables instant verification of tamper-proof coronavirus test results and vaccination certificates. Immunity passports backed by government In recent weeks, the […]

OU leads the way with £1 million software engineering project

20 April 2020

Researchers from The Open University (OU) spearhead a £1 million project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), to change the culture of software engineering. The socio-technical resilience in software development project, also known as STRIDE, will challenge the focus of software engineering on automation and new technologies, to put people at […]

Coronavirus is a once in a lifetime chance to reshape how we travel

3 April 2020

James Warren, The Open University and Marcus Enoch, Loughborough University write for The Conversation about how coronavirus gives us the chance to change the way we travel. The transport sector has been impacted as much as any by the coronavirus. This isn’t a normal period of disruption, which is usually caused by failures in supply […]

Coronavirus: the meaning behind the figures

3 April 2020

Dr Helen Wimalarathna, an infectious disease epidemiologist at The Open University, explains the figures behind the coronavirus outbreak. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues, it can feel as though we are being bombarded with statistics. A few early cases have turned into thousands, the number of deaths globally has passed 35,000. The scale of the […]

OU awarded €393,000 from EU emergency fund to combat false COVID-19 information

1 April 2020

An Open University (OU) researcher has been awarded €393,000 from a European Union (EU) emergency fund to track the spread of misinformation about coronavirus (COVID-19) on social media platforms. Harith Alani, Professor of Web Science at the OU, received funding from EU Horizon 2020 (H2020) for the Health Emergency Response in Interconnected Systems (HERoS) project. […]

OU researchers discover ancient water reservoirs inside Mars

30 March 2020

A team of researchers, including scientists from The Open University (OU), have discovered ancient water reservoirs inside the mantle of Mars. OU researchers Professor Mahesh Anand, Dr Ian Franchi, Dr Susanne Schwenzer and Dr Jessica Barnes, a former student at the OU and an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona, worked as part of […]

OU awarded £2.5 million to further success in planetary sciences

30 March 2020

The Open University (OU) has received £2.5 million from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to fund research in planetary sciences, building on the university’s 50 years in space science. Scientists from the School of Physical Sciences have been awarded the grant to further their research in the origin and evolution of the Solar […]

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