Professor Ian Wright

Profile

I have been a member of the OU for more than two decades. As of early 2009 I have finished a 4-year term as being Head of Department for PSSRI, a group of scientists of various hues, who have come together because of their passion for exploring the natural world beyond Earth, and who wish to understand their home planet within its cosmic setting. Whilst my own path was via Earth sciences and geochemistry, my colleagues span a range of expertise in physics, chemistry, biology, geology and planetary sciences. Living and working in an environment with such a diversity of backgrounds requires a broad-brush approach to science - PSSRI is a multidisciplinary group operating in interdisciplinary space.

During my time as Head of Department (which has many constraints on time!) I was fortunate in being able to remain connected with the national and international science agendas through the efforts of those members of staff who had the latitude to engage with organisations like STFC, BNSC, ESA and NASA. Hopefully I will now have the time to develop and re-new the links for myself.

I am the Principal Investigator for the Ptolemy instrument on board the Rosetta mission, which is currently on its way to land on the surface of a comet in 2014. Ptolemy was born out of many years of experience gained through designing and building novel laboratory instruments. The next logical progression is to develop the spaceflight instruments for applications down on the ground that require the characteristics of small size, low power and portability – we are actively exploring such possibilities.

I am very keen to pursue an outreach agenda and encourage my staff to engage with the public in whatever ways they can. Apart from the obvious face-to-face activities of school visits, talks, laboratory tours, exhibitions, etc., and opportunities that present themselves within the media of television, radio and newspapers, I am currently spending more time than is good for me exploring the possibilities of using Second Life for outreach and teaching.

Qualifications

First Degree in Geological Sciences, University of Birmingham, and a subsequent PhD in instrumentation and geochemistry from the University of Cantabrigia.

Teaching Interests

There is sometimes a perception that members of a “research institute” do not engage with teaching. This is completely false. Over the years I have been involved with many OU courses including S102, S103, S104, S198, S269, S281 and S283.

My current interests in teaching center around delivery mechanisms and methods of course production. Whilst a fan of exploring all possible means of study I remain convinced that the written book is with us for the foreseeable future.

Research Interests

When asked to describe myself in a research context I may use any of the following, depending upon circumstances: “planetary scientist”, “cosmochemist”, “meteoriticist”, “isotope chemist”, or “instrument scientist”. It reflects life in a multidisciplinary environment and demonstrates how many facets there are to people who work in “space”.

At root my interests are in the origin and evolution of the Solar System, in particular, and solar systems in general. And since human beings are here to contemplate such phenomena, it is inevitable that one is also interested in the relationship of living things with the cosmos (from the hard science associated with the origin of life, to the difficulties of understanding consciousness, to the philosophical aspects of the anthropic principle).

To make headway with these lofty ideals, the day job involves laboratory analyses of extraterrestrial materials (meteorites, samples from the Moon and Mars, cosmic dust, interstellar grains) to provide insights and constraints on specific formation mechanisms. In addition, I use the vehicles of space exploration and laboratory simulation to gain new perspectives on the nature and development of planetary environments beyond Earth. My speciality is in the measurement and comprehension of the stable isotope ratios of the biogenically important elements, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur.

Current Research Projects

Gerontology of pre-solar grains, and what constraints this brings to bear on the origin of the Solar System.

Laboratory simulations to test various hypotheses regarding conditions on early Earth, with reference to the origin of life.

Deployment of detailed geochemical techniques to elucidate the development of environmental conditions on Mars.

Contemplation of the nature of cometary surfaces, prior to setting foot (metaphorically) on such a body in 2014.

Development of sensors and instruments for analytical purposes.

The use of immersive virtual realities (Second Life and, maybe one day, “My World”) for educational and outreach purposes.

Publications