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Science, Maths & Technology
Solving the perplexing mathematicians' problem of the spectre
In 2023, a UK maths enthusiast called David Smith discovered a shape that had one very specialproperty.Using copies of this shape, nicknamed “the spectre,” one can cover a flat surface forever-without the pattern repeating itself. This special property is called aperiodicity, and David’s discovery solved a problem that had been perplexing ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Margaret Hamilton: Spaceship Programmer and Software Pioneer
Margaret Hamilton (1936–2026) was a pioneering software engineer whose groundbreaking work helped make the Apollo 11 Moon landing possible and laid the foundations of modern software engineering.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Welcome to the Missing Elements Hub
What does a more inclusive future for chemistry look like? Explore the barriers to equality, meet chemists from diverse backgrounds and discover resources for creating change.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Angel Breed
Understand the basic rules of genetics and see if you can breed the rarest fish in our biology game.
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Science, Maths & Technology
World Space Week
World Space Week is held every year between 4th-10th October - it is a celebration of science and technology. We've put together some fantastic free resources to mark this occasion.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Meet the ThrustWSH project team
Get to know some of the ThrustWSH (Water speed hydrofoil) project team through five videos shot on various test locations.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Take a look behind the scenes of ThrustWSH
Discover what technologies are needed to break the water speed record with ThrustWSH (Water speed hydrofoil).
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Science, Maths & Technology
About the ThrustWSH education hub
Welcome to the ThrustWSH (Water speed hydrofoil) education hub where you can find out more about the technologies behind the ThrustWSH water speed world record attempt.
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Science, Maths & Technology
ThrustWSH water speed record hub
In this hub you will find free learning resources related to the ThrustWSH (Water speed hydrofoil) water speed record project.
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Current conversations about ageing
As populations age, what does it really mean to grow older well? Listen to three podcasts exploring the changing experiences of later life, asking how connection, home and technology shape our ability to age on our own terms.
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Science, Maths & Technology
OpenLearn choices for students studying Contemporary topics in science
Welcome to the Contemporary topics in science OpenLearn choice page. The options here make up the independent learning element of this course and allow you to tailor your study to suit your interests.
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Science, Maths & Technology
The Perseid meteor shower
The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight on 12–13 August 2026, offering one of the best opportunities of the year to spot ‘shooting stars’. Find out more about meteors, the constellation Perseus and what meteors have to do with ancient Egypt...