The Open University

Mars 2020: the hunt for life on the red planet is about to get serious

30 July 2020

Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary Sciences at The Open University, discusses the latest missions to Mars in the hope for more answers about if there has been, or is, life on the red planet. Next spring is going to be a busy time for Mars. In close succession, three spacecraft will arrive at the planet, […]

Five top tips for managing your personal finances during coronavirus

30 July 2020

Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Personal Finance at The Open University, offers advice on how to manage your money through the coronavirus pandemic. When it comes to money, coronavirus has split the nation. Financial stress dominates for many of the 9.5 million employees on furlough, potentially facing unemployment as the scheme unwinds, and […]

I’ve been talking to conspiracy theorists for 20 years – here are my six rules of engagement

22 July 2020

Jovan Byford, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The Open University discusses the rules he uses for talking about conspiracy theories. With prospects of a COVID-19 vaccine looking up, attention is also turning to the problem of anti-vax ideas. According to a recent survey, one in six Britons would refuse a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes […]

Nkurunziza’s life and Burundian politics: beyond the mourning and controversies

24 June 2020

Astrid Jamar, Lecturer in Development at The Open University and Rene Claude Niyonkuru, Researcher at the Universite catholique de Louvain discuss President Pierre Nkurunziza – and his legacy – following his sudden death earlier this month at the age of 55. They explore how his personal and political trajectory was entangled with a long legacy […]

Life inside Pluto? Hot birth may have created internal ocean on dwarf planet

23 June 2020

David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University, discusses what it means to discover internal oceans on Pluto and other planets in the solar system. Pluto, along with many other dwarf planets in the outer solar system, is often thought of as dark, icy and barren – with a surface temperature of just […]

The Sun: study shows it’s less active than sibling stars – here’s what that could mean

1 May 2020

Andrew Norton, Professor of Astrophysics Education at The Open University, writes about the magnetic activity on the Sun and what this could mean. All stars emit varying amounts of light over time – and the Sun is no exception. Such changes in starlight can help us understand how habitable any planets around other stars are […]

Katherine Johnson: NASA mathematician and much-needed role model

25 February 2020

Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at The Open University writes for The Conversation about NASA mathematician, Katherine Johnson. Katherine Johnson, who has died at the age of 101, was an amazing woman. But up until a few years ago, hardly anyone had heard of her or her achievements. She was a mathematician […]

Mars quakes: The InSight lander shows active faults in the planet’s crust

25 February 2020

David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University writes for The Conversation about NASA’s Mars Insight probe. Most space missions investigate the surface or atmosphere of a body. But NASA’s InSight probe, which landed on Mars in November 2018, is different – it is the first mission dedicated to studying the interior structure […]

Why the most distant object ever visited looks like a snowman – flyby delivers results

17 February 2020

Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at The Open University writes for The Conversation about a new series of papers that help us better understand the solar system. Just over a year ago, courtesy of NASA’s New Horizons mission, we were treated to images of 2014MU69, a small object 6.6 billion kilometers from the […]

Veganism has always been more about living an ethical life than just avoiding meat and dairy

7 January 2020

Dr Matthew Cole, Lecturer in Criminology at The Open University joins Dr Kate Stewart from Nottingham Trent University to write for The Conversation about the origins of Veganism being more than just diet. “Ethical veganism” has been ruled to be a philosophical belief in the UK in an employment tribunal. During a case brought by […]

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