The OpenScience Laboratory

An initiative of The Open University and The Wolfson Foundation

This online laboratory brings interactive practical science to students anywhere and anytime the internet is available. The laboratory features investigations based on on-screen instruments, remote access experiments and virtual scenarios using real data. Several activities are available to all, while others are available only to registered users.

Come in and look around.

Lab tour

If you close this box, you can still see it at any time by clicking About from the main header above.

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Popular experiments

  • Hominid skull evolution

    Subject Bio Earth Env

    Explore the features of a collection of hominid skulls and take measurements that will enable you to determine the evolutionary relationships between them, investigating the march of bipedalism through the fossil record.

    Time required
    Open to the public

  • Treezilla

    Subject Env Bio

    Map and record Britain's trees using Citizen Science.

    Time required 30 mins or more
    Open to the public

  • Astronomy with an online telescope (Badged Course)

    Subject Astro Phys

    Details for Astronomy with an online telescope Badged Course users.

    Time required
    Open to the public

All experiments (filtered; page 1 of 6)

  • Sorting out soils

    Subject Env Bio Chem

    Examine the physical and chemical characteristics of soil.

    Time required 2.5 hours
    Open to the public

  • Flame test II

    Subject Chem

    A simple demonstration of the characteristic colours produced by metallic salts in flames.

    Time required
    Open to the public

  • PIRATE facility

    Subject Astro Phys

    Remote-access astronomical observatory.

    Time required 10 h
    Open to the public

  • Eating for energy

    Subject Env Bio

    An investigation into why greater horseshoe bats are so rare in Britain today.

    Time required 1 hour
    Open to the public

  • Histology & histopathology

    Subject Bio Health

    A collection of 320 annotated slides covering basic histology and histopathology.

    Time required 1-15 hours
    Open to the public

  • Igneous & metamorphic rock

    Subject Earth

    Hand specimens and slabs of rocks and minerals found in the Lake District.

    Time required 1-2 hours
    Open to the public

  • Launch Pad: Rocketry

    Subject Eng Phys

    'Space' Award for Air Cadets: Investigating the vertical range of sky rockets

    Time required 30 min
    Open to the public

  • Optical Microscope

    Subject Gen Bio Earth Env Mat

    Remote access to microscope ready loaded with a wide variety of slides.

    Time required 5 min - 1 h
    Open to the public

  • VOFT

    Subject Env Earth

    Virtual Oceanographic Field Trip

    Time required 3 - 4 hours
    Open to the public
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