Thursday 9th August
Quentin is in Bath with students on the Technology in Action course. One of their tasks is to design a “rescue robot” that can work in a hazardous environment. It’s a challenging brief - will they succeed? While the students build their robots, Quentin talks to course tutor Jon Rosewell.
Quentin also visits the Bristol Robotics Laboratory to see how research scientists are tackling some crucial robotic problems: how can you build a robot that is "energy autonomous"? Can you "teach" robots to work together?
Find out more about Technology in action residential courses
and the Robotics and the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think online course.
Thursday 16th August
Quentin Cooper joins a group of Open University geology students on a field trip to Staithes in North Yorkshire. The students will be looking for fossils in the cliffs, and studying the landscape for clues about the Earth’s evolution.
Quentin also talks to geologists Glynda Easterbrook and Richard Davies. Modern geology relies on sophisticated imaging equipment to provide accurate data about rock strata, but the students soon realise that there’s no substitute for careful observation.
Find out more about the Geological history of the British Isles residential course.
Thursday 23rd August
Quentin Cooper visits Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, and joins an Open University residential course about the environment. The students will be learning how to observe, sample and measure different types of vegetation.
But plants also provide vital clues about air quality and pollution. Biologist Hilary Denny and earth scientist Mark Brandon will be helping Quentin interpret the evidence.
Find out more about Environmental Science in the field.
Thursday 30th August
In the last programme in the series, Quentin Cooper goes to Durham and joins an Open University psychology course. The students have to devise a psychological investigation of memory or communication. But framing a psychological investigation that is ethical, systematic and meaningful is not easy. Psychologists Ilona Roth and Alex Easton discuss the difficulties of applying scientific method to psychology.
Find out more about Exploring psychology residential courses.
First broadcast: Thursday 8 Sep 2005 on BBC Radio 4
The Material World in more depth:
OU on the BBC: The Material World - About the 2008 programmes
David Robinson
For 2008, BBC Radio 4's science series joined Open University academics in the field. Read more : OU on the BBC: The Material World - About the 2008 programmes
OU on the BBC: The Material World - Listen again to the OU programmes
BBC
Hear the BBC/OU programmes from The Material World - at your convenience Read more : OU on the BBC: The Material World - Listen again to the OU programmes
OU on the BBC: The Material World - Studying science
OU
In 2006, The Material World recorded special episodes at Open University residential schools taking place at the universities of York, Sussex and Heriot-Watt (in... Read more : OU on the BBC: The Material World - Studying science
OU on the BBC: The Material World - What's it like at a summer school?
OU
In 2006, The Material World broadcast some special editions recorded at Open University residential schools during July and August. Read more : OU on the BBC: The Material World - What's it like at a summer school?
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