This free course, Gene testing, looks at three different uses of genetic testing: pre-natal diagnosis, childhood testing and adult testing. Such tests provide genetic information in the form of a predictive diagnosis, and as such are described as predictive tests. Pre-natal diagnosis uses techniques such as amniocentesis to test fetuses in the ...

Understand the basic rules of genetics and see if you can breed the rarest fish in our biology game.

This free course, What do genes do?,  explores how information contained in DNA is used, explaining the flow of information from DNA to RNA to protein. Also introduced are the concepts of transcription (as occurs between DNA and RNA) and translation.

Chemistry lies at the centre of our modern life, playing a part in areas as diverse as the development of new drugs and materials, analysing our environment through to more mundane activities such as washing your clothes and making your tea. But to truly understand the role chemistry plays you need to have a sound grasp of a number of ...

Put yourself in a crime scene officer's shoes and try to solve a suspected murder when time and resources are tight. Can you link the suspects to the forensic evidence? 

Ever wondered where the phrase 'as mad as a hatter' came from? We take a look at some infamous cases of poisoning. 

Take a journey into the Earth's oceans and discover whether you've got what it takes to become an oceanographer. Explore ocean depths, currents, temperatures and find out more about the future of our oceans. 

The oceans cover more than 70 per cent of our planet. In this free course, The oceans, you will learn about the depths of the oceans and the properties of the water that fills them, what drives the ocean circulation and how the oceans influence our climate.

Test your knowledge about plastics in our oceans, and learn about how they impact the environment by clicking on the image below...

Modern astronomy utilises a range of techniques across the electromagnetic spectrum that allow astronomers to measure the brightness, size and shape of astronomical objects, as well as their structure in many cases. This free course enables you to explore multiwavelength images of the Universe and make your own measurements of stars, nebulae and...

This free course shows you how to navigate the night sky, and introduces the wide variety of objects it contains. You will develop a hands-on understanding of telescopic observations using the Open University’s own robotic telescope facility COAST sited on the island of Tenerife. Supported by your own measurements we illustrate how stars...

Have you ever looked up into the night sky at the red planet and wanted to know more? Now here’s your chance to explore Mars.

Rocks hurtling through space shape the surface of the moons and planets as collide – and now you can use your skill and knowledge to make your own mark. Can you cover a target percentage of a planet or a moon’s surface with impact craters – by choosing meteroids based on size, make-up and speed and aiming them at your chosen target.

From robotic telescopes to an asteroid pretending to be a moon on Mars, here are four articles about asteroids.

In March 2021, several rare meteorite fragments were found in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. We celebrate this amazing discovery with a mini documentary and other FREE resources on meteorites…  

How does Artificial Intelligence (AI) work? How is AI used in science? All is explained these short animations narrated by David Mitchell. 

As technology advances, machines are becoming more advanced at interacting with humans, but what does this mean for the future?

Should companies be cautious when embracing new technologies for fear of displacing their employees? 

As old age approaches, Geoff Watts confronts an inevitable future in the care of robots. But that doesn’t mean he likes it.

With the use of more AI techniques in the modern world, how should governments and lawmakers respond? How can we keep best informed about which advances may impact our economy and society?

Artificial Intelligence seems very much of our time - but as Jessica Riskin explains, history records many attempts to create machines that think.

This free advanced level course, Exploring anxiety, serves as an introduction to masters level study in neurosciences and mental health. Focusing on anxiety, you will consider key issues concerning diagnosis, causes and interventions. You will also learn how to evaluate news items, and to go behind the headlines and begin to explore some of the ...

What causes pain and how do we stop it? This free course, Pain and Aspirin, looks at how the human body responds to the release of certain chemicals and as a result feels pain. Pain can be reduced by inhibiting the formation of such chemicals and you will learn how the molecular structure of aspirin has been formulated to help in this process.

Drug development process: combating pain, is a free course offering a brief introduction to the process of new drug discovery; from identification of a suitable candidate drug molecule to the development of a commercial drug product available in the clinic for pain relief or as an anti-inflammatory.