Open Skies

In this episode of Open Skies, we chat with Andy Brighouse, a recent MSc Mathematics graduate from The Open University, about the fascinating world of fractals and their applications in mathematics, weather, and climate. We explore the definitions of fractals, their properties, and how they can be used as tools for measurement, interpolation, and prediction. Andy shares his experiences with fractals during his research on tundra lakes and the opportunities he had to explore some of these topics in his MSc degree.   Chapters: 00:00 Getting into Fractals 05:00 Understanding Fractals: Definitions and Examples 11:00 Fractal Dimensions: Measurement and Application 15:50 Fractals in Data Interpolation and Inverse Problems 27:24 What’s next: Fractal Geometry and Dynamical Systems 30:00 Learning Maths is a bit Fractal   We hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Open Skies! For all our club contact and joining links: https://linktr.ee/ouweatherandclimateclub   For Andy’s OpenInterval piece describing his placement on the research bursary scheme: https://www3.open.ac.uk/documents/8/uh23081159293810.pdf Student research bursaries: Student research bursaries | School of Mathematics and Statistics Mathematics Postgraduate OU Cafe: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/forumng/view.php?id=1379608   Explore Further: On the fractal properties of drifting trails of smoke: Fractal Geometry of Isoconcentration Surfaces in a Smoke Plume Alexander A. Praskovsky, Walter F. Dabberdt, Eleanor A. Praskovskaya, Walter G. Hoydysh, and Oleh Holynskyj   Understanding Julia and Mandelbrot sets: https://www.karlsims.com/julia.html   Fractal Interpolation in Context: Paper on optimising time series predictions using fractal interpolation: Fractal interpolation in the context of prediction accuracy optimization  Alexandra Baicoianu, Cristina Gabriela Gavrilă, Cristina Maria Pacurar, Victor Dan Pacurar arXiv:2403.00403   Kac, M. (1966) ‘Can One Hear the Shape of a Drum?’, The American mathematical monthly, 73(4), pp. 1-. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/2313748. OU Library access link: https://library-search.open.ac.uk/permalink/44OPN_INST/j6vapu/cdi_crossref_primary_10_2307_2313748   Fractals and Chaos: An illustrated Course Paul S Addison, 1997 Full text available via the OU Library: https://library-search.open.ac.uk/permalink/44OPN_INST/j6vapu/cdi_informaworld_taylorfrancisbooks_9780849384431

In this episode of Open Skies, we talk to Dr. Evangelos Ntontis, a Lecturer in Social Psychology at The Open University, about climate psychology and its applications. He explains how his background in discourse analysis has helped him explore the framing of climate change discussions and the importance of considering the environment and societal factors in understanding human behaviour related to climate change. Dr Ntontis highlights how you can explore these topics further in a new OpenLearn course and the OU module D110: Exploring psychological worlds. Chapters: 00:00 Introductions 03:29 Discourse Analysis and Qualitative Research Methods 07:00 D110 and the psychology of climate change denialism 8:22 Exploring Climate Psychology: The OpenLearn Module 15:08 Researching stressors as a climate change impact 21:43 The interaction of inequality and climate change impacts We hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Open Skies! For all our club contact and joining links: https://linktr.ee/ouweatherandclimateclub Explore Further: Studying Psychology at The Open University https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/psychology   D110: Exploring psychological worlds: thinking, feeling, doing https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/modules/d110   OpenLearn: Introducing Climate Psychology https://www.open.edu/openlearn/health-sports-psychology/introducing-climate-psychology-facing-the-climate-crisis