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Science, Maths & Technology
Alkali metals
Discover the explosive results when water and alkali metals come together - and the science behind the reaction
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Science, Maths & Technology
Engineering your dream career
Imagine spending time working on the things you love. Discover engineering careers which match your passions in this short interactive experience on women in engineering.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Earth's physical resources: fossil fuels
The big issue of the 21st century is the impact burning fossil fuels is having on the global environment. This album considers what will happen when fossil fuels run out. What oil and gas resources have we got left and how can we sustain them? The two video tracks explore the connection between fossil fuels and climate change, determining that ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Design from the inside
Do you ever find yourself looking at a well-designed object and thinking about how it works, and the ingenuity that it represents?
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Science, Maths & Technology
Complex Systems
Open University researcher Jeff Johnson talks of the importance of the Science of Complex Systems as a means to unravel real-world, complex problems that cannot be tackled by conventional reductive methods. Using Bird Flu as an example he demonstrates how complex systems thinking allows researchers to approach problems in novel ways.
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Science, Maths & Technology
The Science Behind the Bike
The Science Behind the Bike is a series of films that investigate how science and technology have transformed the sport of cycling. We talk to Olympic gold-medallists Chris Boardman and Rebecca Romero, and Paralympian gold-medallist Sarah Storey, take a trip to a wind tunnel, consult with Team GB physiologists and hear from design experts and ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Blade Runner: What's the balance between science and fiction?
How does Blade Runner shape up as a piece of work when real scientists look at its workings?
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Science, Maths & Technology
Compression moulding
A preheated pellet of thermoset plastic is placed into the bottom half of a heated die. The top half of the die (punch) compresses the molten plastic into the shape of the die. After curing under heat and pressure, the moulded component is ejected.
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Nature & Environment
Studying mammals: Plant predators
From the mouse-deer to the elephant, plant eaters come in all shapes and sizes. But how do they manage to flourish on a salad diet? In this free course, Studying mammals: Plant predators, we will examine the special features that allow them to extract their nutrients from leaves, and see how some plants protect themselves from these predators. ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Galaxies, stars and planets
This free course, Galaxies, stars and planets, is a general introduction, including scale of the universe from the very large to the very small; orbits and gravity; the Solar System; the Sun and other stars; galaxies and the composition of astronomical objects.
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Nature & Environment
What effect does increasing noise pollution have on mammals?
A researcher explains how prairie dogs appear to have developed strategies to keep alert in noisier environments - but there might be a downside.
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Science, Maths & Technology
The Internet at 40
2009 is the 40th anniversary of the first computer network - the precursor of the internet - and the 20th anniversary of the brilliant idea that led to the creation of the world wide web. What exactly is the internet, and how does it differ from the world wide web? Who were its pioneers, and what technological surprises has it sprung? This ...