Synopsis
From robot surgery to nation-wide hunts for stripy snails via Michael Faraday, The Open University's new podcast series caters to all tastes. Take-Away Science is about anything and everything interesting in science. Featuring interviews with practising scientists at the cutting edge of research, television science presenters and students starting out on their degrees, the OU Science Faculty bring their unique perspective on science today to you with each episode. Each interview is recorded by OU staff and the podcast is hosted by Rough Science's Dr Mike Bullivant. These podcasts are brought to you by The Open University's BLAST! project: http://blast.open.ac.uk
Episodes
-
-
Research Stories
12/12/2008 Duration: 20minIn this podcast we find out about fascinating research projects throughout the UK. Patricia Ragazzon chats to researchers from the University of Nottingham about innovations in nanotubes and David Smith finds out about how we might be able to grow a cure for malaria. We also talk to David Gamblin, an Associate Lecturer, about what he enjoys about working for the OU. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant, also from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
It's Elementary: A Chemist's View
12/12/2008 Duration: 16minThis podcast explores life at The Open University's Department of Chemistry and Analytical Sciences. We meet Dr Sotiris Missalidis, whose research into chemistry has contributed to one of our new courses. We chat to Ian Baines, a OU student currently studying chemistry and catch up with Professor Peter Taylor to talk about his work in broadcas ting and science. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant, also from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
Life sciences: Evolution in snails, the perils of looking after snakes and scientists on television
27/11/2008 Duration: 20minIn this podcast we meet a herpetologist, or snake expert, from Wales and discuss genetic coding in snakes and research developments. We also meet David Robinson, a biologist and Senior Lecturer at the OU, who has been involved with OU television programmes for many years, and chat about what the future for science programming might look like. Finally, we chat to Jenny Worthington, a project officer at the OU, about the fantastic evolution meglab project. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
Science perspectives: from an OU student, to outreach and cutting-edge research
10/11/2008 Duration: 22minIn this podcast, we meet Professor Tom Lane, President-elect of the American Chemical Society and discuss why scientists should get involved with outreach. We return to The Open University's Dr Mark Brandon and Wes Fraser, on Mark's fascinating research into Antarctica's melting icesheets. We also meet Hazel Carr, a Course Manager in the university's Science Faculty. Hazel tells us about her experience as an OU student; the good and the bad. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
Earth Science Rocks!
28/10/2008 Duration: 23minIn this earth science themed programme, Dr Sarah Davies delve into a fantastic project - Enabling Remote Activity - which helps mobility-impaired students take part in field work. Wes Fraser also chats with Dr Mark Brandon about his fascinating research in the Antarctic. Finally, we eavesdrop on a conversation between two OU researchers - Dr Will Gosling and Dr Palavi Anand about how finding out about the past may help us to understand climate change in the future. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
Science: from the lab to Second Life and across the world
07/10/2008 Duration: 25minWe talk to Sue Stocklmayer from the Australian National University about the joys and pitfalls of international science communication; and to Rough Science's Dr Jonathan Hare about his research into Buckmeinsterfullerene. We also return to the SCHOME project (from Programme 5) and meet the students involved - in the real world! The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant, also from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
Science in Second Life, using robots in surgery and Walking with Robots
26/09/2008 Duration: 25minWarning: this Take-Away Science episode involves more than a hint of technology. We chat to Becca Wilson and Oliver Butters about their virtual space science project with school students. We also meet Professor Justin Cobb who's leading the way with robotic surgery and catch up with Ashley Green and Claire Rocks from the Walking with Robots project. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
The Large Hadron Collider, the moon and some space scientists' heroes of science
22/09/2008 Duration: 17minIn this physics and astronomy episode we chat to Dr Tara Shears just before the LHC was switched on in September 2008; catch up with two space scientists to find out about their heroes of science; and eavesdrop on a fascinating conversation between Dr Dave Rothery and Dr Mahesh Anand about the moon. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
Toxicology, more about life on Mars and children's author Philip Ardagh
15/09/2008 Duration: 19minWe meet children’s author Philip Ardagh for a chat; find out more about Mars and discovering life on Earth in some of the most unlikely places; and we catch up with an Open University graduateto learn about toxicology. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
Life on Mars, controlling disease and 3D printers
15/09/2008 Duration: 18minWe discuss life on Mars with Open University scientists; getting into science and the future of disease control with epidemiologists at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition; and find out about incredible 3D printers. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.
-
Women in science today, a latter-day heroine and forensic science
18/08/2008 Duration: 19minIn this podcast we catch up with Professor Kathy Sykes at the 2008 Cheltenham Science Festival and find out about her heroine of science; we meet Dr Christine Heading, an OU Associate Lecturer, who has been awarded a Royal Pharmaceutical Society for her work with women; and chat to the OU’s Professor Bassindale about our new course in Forensic Science. The interviews are recorded by OU staff and the programme is hosted by Dr Mike Bullivant from the OU/BBC television series Rough Science.