The Open University

Blue Planet II academic consultants on the message that humanity cannot afford to ignore

31 October 2017

As expected, the first episode of Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II has been greeted with rapturous applause. But alongside the gasps of delight at the beauty of the natural world, the programme came with an urgent message for viewers which we can no longer afford to ignore. Produced by the BBC’s Natural History Unit […]

Private companies are launching a new space race – here’s what to expect

4 October 2017

The space race between the USA and Russia started with a beep from the Sputnik satellite exactly 60 years ago (October 4, 1957) and ended with a handshake in space just 18 years later. The handshake was the start of many decades of international collaboration in space. But over the past decade there has been […]

Cassini crashes: it’s time for a new mission to explore the possibility of life on Saturn’s moons

15 September 2017

NASA’s Cassini mission has made its “death plunge” into the swirling clouds of Saturn after 20 years of exploring the planet and its moons. It’s been amazingly successful, making headlines with groundbreaking discoveries throughout its journey. But today the headlines are more like obituary notices, looking back at the mission’s spectacular achievements. Cassini discovered new […]

Milton Keynes is bidding to be 2023 Capital of Culture – it should be taken seriously

1 September 2017

The British city of Milton Keynes is probably not the most obvious contender for the title of 2023 European Capital of Culture. It hasn’t exactly got a reputation for being a cultural hot spot: jokes about the blandness of Milton Keynes are entrenched in the popular imagination. In his travel notes, popular writer Bill Bryson’s […]

Volcanic emissions caused the warmest period in past 56m years – new study

31 August 2017

To predict what type of Earth lies ahead of us, we scientists usually turn to complex computer simulations. But how can we test whether these models are remotely accurate? Perhaps the best solution is to turn to instances in the geological past when Earth’s climate experienced similarly rapid warming. One such event is the Palaeocene-Eocene […]

There could be snow on Mars – here’s how that’s possible

22 August 2017

Given that there are ambitious plans to colonise Mars in the near future, it is surprising how much we still have to learn about what it would be like to actually live on the planet. Take the weather, for instance. We know there are wild fluctuations in Mars’s climate – and that it is very […]

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. […]

How your pile of laundry fills the sea with plastic pollution

4 July 2017

Microplastic pollution is one of the newest environmental issues on the block. After decades of intense observation and campaigning by conservation groups, awareness of microplastic pollution has fortunately grown. There is now worldwide concern about tiny pieces of plastic litter that are having a harmful impact on marine species and habitats. Large plastic litter has […]

Fact Check: do the police spend over a million hours a year fighting cannabis?

27 May 2017

According to the authoritative Crime Survey for England and Wales, 6.5% of 16 to 59-year-olds use cannabis. But fewer people are using cannabis than in 1996, when information first became available. While much of the debate surrounding cannabis use has focused on the extent of potential harm to users, recently demands for a change in […]

Saturn moon Enceladus is able to host life – it’s time for a new mission

13 April 2017

Ever since studies started suggesting that chemical reactions between water and rock on Saturn’s moon Enceladus could provide enough energy in the water to feed microbial life, scientists have been searching for proof that the right sort of reactions really do occur. And during its last dive through the icy plumes that Enceladus erupts into […]

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