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Science, Maths & Technology
Surviving the 21st Century
Leading cosmologist Professor Martin Rees once famously said that the human race has only a 50 per cent chance of surviving the 21st century. Current President of the Royal Society, Sir Rees cites natural disasters, nuclear war and global warming among the challenges facing future generations. The Open University's Dr Stephen Serjeant ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Investigating bacterial communication
Can bacteria communicate with each other, and if they do communicate, how and why do they do so? And how might understanding the mechanisms of bacterial communication be used to inform development of anti-bacterial drugs? In this album scientists involved in pioneering work into bacterial 'quorum sensing'' at Nottingham University in the UK ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Investigating ageing
We might think we know what ageing is, but it’s surprisingly difficult to pin down. In this album a 70-year-old fashion model and her 17-year-old grand-daughter take part in a series of scientific tests to see whether it is possible to distinguish between them. The results give an insight into what contemporary science can tell us about what ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Science Communication and Public Engagement
The adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel ‘The War of The Worlds’ in 1938 showed the power of radio to capture listeners’ imagination through science-fiction - and in doing so demonstrated how mass media could be used to communicate science to different audiences. For decades, print and broadcast media have used different genres to portray the ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Integrated health, safety and environmental management
Just how dangerous is the everyday workplace? What can be done to mitigate risks and avoid hazards? And what trade-offs have to be made between the competing demands of safety, efficiency and wider social responsibility? This album looks at three very different case studies - farming, food manufacturing and urban redevelopment - and explores the...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Space, Time and Consciousness
Is space just another name for nothing? What is time and how does it relate to space? Will we ever understand the relationship between consciousness and the physical brain? Welcome to the world of The Open University’s Professor Russell Stannard where the big mysteries of the universe are made comprehensible and any possibility is considered in ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Fossil Detectives
This event took place on 21st October 2008 and was hosted by Hermione Cockburn, presenter of the brand-new OU/BBC series Fossil Detectives. Hermione, who has also presented Coast and Rough Science, talks about the making of Fossil Detectives and other OU/BBC series, the extraordinary fossils found in Britain, and some of our most surprising ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
The Arch Never Sleeps
It has been said that arches never sleep, that they are almost living in the way they adapt to change. Using case studies of Ely Cathedral in England and Chartres in France, the tracks on this album examine the way in which the design of arches developed in the early middle ages, and use mathematical models to explore some of the problems ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
All the Fun of the Fair
There is nothing quite like the thrill of a ride at the fair. But what is it that creates the thrills - making people actually enjoy the experience of being thrown around? The tracks in this Collection look at the circular motion of 4 fairground rides, and focuses in on 'The Hellraiser', mathematically modelling the forces at work. This material...
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Science, Maths & Technology
The Fourier Series
Fourier analysis encompasses a vast spectrum of mathematics which is often deemed confusing and sometimes frightening to those studying it. The tracks in this album aim to de-mystify the ideas behind the Fourier series and illustrate some of the numerous applications that exist, from telephony to stocking supermarket shelves. This material makes...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Grad, Div and Curl
Have you ever wondered what causes cyclones, and why it's always calm in the centre of the storm? Well, vector calculus holds the key. The tracks on this album introduce you to the scalar and vector fields of gradient, divergence and curl. This material makes up part of the course MST209, Mathematical methods and models.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Rotating Bodies and Angular Momentum
How does an ice skater rotate so effortlessly on ice? What are the forces at play? How do they keep spinning? And more importantly, how do they stop? The tracks on this album use a variety of sports ranging from Ice Skating to the Highland Games to illustrate the nature of rotating bodies, looking in turn at torques, angular momentum and the ...