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Science, Maths & Technology
Patterns of Life
Everywhere you look in nature you will find patterns. From the seeds in the flower under your nose to the flock of swallows overhead some patterns keep occurring again and again. The essence of mathematics is a series of simple rules that produce complex consequences. And nowhere are these complex consequences more apparent than in the natural ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Think like a scientist
Learn to think like a scientist. In this collection we demonstrate a series of hands-on experiments that you can carry out in your own kitchen. We'll explore some key aspects of life on Earth such as why water is so important to all living organisms, how matter behaves at different temperatures and what are the best conditions for life to ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Design Essentials: are you sitting comfortably?
Theo Zamenopoulos, of the OU design faculty, offers a glimpse into the ideological and historical context of design ideas and principles. With Emma Curtis, curator of the Design Museum, and Nathaniel Hepburn, curator of the Mascalls Art Gallery, Theo looks at the key ideas that emerged as the driving force behind design using specific examples ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Design Essentials: small objects of desire
When the Apple designers first came to Steve Jobs with the iPod he picked it up, fiddled with it and then dropped it into a fish tank. "Those are air bubbles," he snapped. "That means there's space in there. Make it smaller." A successful designer needs a critical awareness of the design all around us and the factors that produce it. They also ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Renewable Energy and the UK
The EU has set ambitious targets for both renewable energy and carbon reduction, but the UK has been reluctant to sign up to new targets beyond 2020. How does the UK Government plan to tackle this problem and what targets is it considering?
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Science, Maths & Technology
Renewable Energy: the Scottish story
Energy policy in Scotland has been following a different path to the rest of the UK since devolution. How is Scotland's energy policy different, what factors have contributed to this and what impact could independence have on the Scottish renewable energy sector? Contributors include; Charles Hendry MP, Former UK Minister of State for Energy; ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Design Behind the Bike
The Design Behind the Bike Series explores the effect of science and technology on cycling and explores how the development in technology has changed bike design and build over the last 100 years. The series of five films explores the development of technology, components, materials and innovation used to build and design new bicycles for the ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
60-Second Adventures in Astronomy
Ever wondered where the Universe came from? Or more importantly, where it's headed? Voiced by David Mitchell, this series of 60 second animations examines different scientific concepts from the big bang to relativity, from black holes to dark matter. The series also explores the possibility of life beyond Earth and considers why David Bowie ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Managing for Sustainability
What are the key issues for sustainable resource management? How do companies operate while maintaining corporate social responsibility? From understanding the need for sustainability, and environmental auditing to learning how organisations integrate health and safety policy. This collection/album explores many of the issues that face modern ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
The Art of Rich Pictures
How can the drawing of images aid communication? How can they help us in business, in our everyday and personal lives? Rich Pictures is a term used to describe a means of communicating, expressing and discussing complex ideas though images. Although the term is primarily used in a modern business setting, the Rich Pictures concept is wide ...
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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
Alan Turing: Life and legacy
To what extent did Alan Turing influence the evolution of modern computing? The 20th Century mathematician is considered by many to be the father of computer science and many would argue that it is largely due to his research that we are able to read this text on a PC, laptop or smart phone. Aside from his contribution to maths and computing ...