Guy Watkins
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guywatkins.bsky.social
Guy Watkins
@guywatkins.bsky.social
1.2K followers 2.1K following 1.1K posts
Studying MPhys Astrophysics with Space Science at The Open University. Aspiring astrobiologist/planetary scientist. FRAS. BSc (Hons) Computing, CertHE Natural Sciences. http://guywatkins.space
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guywatkins.bsky.social
Guy Watkins @guywatkins.bsky.social · Dec 17
I'm doing the Gower 50km Ultra for The Brain Tumour Charity! This links to my ongoing original campaign for the same charity to stay sober for 9 months. This time I am looking to raise a minimum of £500.

Details of this new challenge with links is here: www.justgiving.com/page/guy-wat...
Reposted by Guy Watkins
woodgrainterrain.bsky.social
There is no higher honor in my little world than having my work recognized by the providers of the Martian surface data used in my carvings. The big cedar piece depicting a singular dune was chosen as their 2026 art show's theme winner! See you in Tucson!

lpl.arizona.edu/art/

#spaceart
#planetsci
Three wooden terrain carvings depicting the Martian surface using data prepared by UofA's LPL. The carvings all depict dune features. The larger two are about two feet wide, with one depicting a singular barchan dune. The smallest carving features a crater and surrounding dunes and has a resin-filled crack splitting the landscape vertically in two.
February 15, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
canariasahora.bsky.social
🌋 Nuevo enjambre sísmico en el Teide: más de 300 terremotos desde este lunes

www.eldiario.es/canariasahor...
Nuevo enjambre sísmico en el Teide: más de 300 terremotos desde este lunes
Como en ocasiones anteriores, la hipótesis más probable es que estos enjambres estén relacionados con la inyección de fluidos magmáticos en el sistema hidrotermal de la isla y no conllevan cambios en ...
www.eldiario.es
February 17, 2026 at 12:34 PM
guywatkins.bsky.social
Rest In Power, Jesse Jackson
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3...
US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson dies aged 84 - live updates
Jackson, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr in the 1960s and later ran for president twice, died peacefully on Tuesday morning surrounded by his family.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 17, 2026 at 12:04 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
science.esa.int
‘Save the best for last 😋’, a little rocky planet discovered by our #ESACheops might think – born later than its gaseous sibling-planets, it might flip our understanding of how planets form upside down.

Our full story 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

🔭🧪
#exoplanets
#milkyway
#planetsci
A planetary system with four planets circling around a star. In the foreground, a large reddish-brown rocky planet with craters is visible. Behind it, there are three smaller planets: one with blue and white colours, another with blue and brown bands, and the third with a rocky surface. In the top right corner of the image, a small but bright red star illuminates the scene, with space dust and distant stars visible in the background.
February 12, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
pedroleon.info
Hemos tardado muy poco en olvidar que nos han dejado tirados con muchos proyectos... Un socio con el que acuerdas proyectos y luego los suspende unilateralmente no es fiable. Y si en pocos meses los abrazamos de nuevo... Volverá a dejarnos tirados. Colaboración si, humillación no. 🫤
February 12, 2026 at 2:32 PM
guywatkins.bsky.social
The "Man" Who Sold the World.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Analysis: Trump takes victory lap after biggest climate rollback yet
The move marks the culmination of a decade-long push by the president to tear up climate policies he argues stifle industry.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 13, 2026 at 4:54 AM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
physicsworld.bsky.social
Soon, we may be able to deflect asteroids on collision courses with Earth. In this podcast, aerospace engineer Rahil Makadia explains how deflected asteroids could return to Earth. 🧪⚛️ ow.ly/YbqO50YenRc
Asteroid deflection: why we need to get it right the first time – Physics World
Aerospace engineer Rahil Makadia on the danger of asteroid “keyholes”
ow.ly
February 12, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
astrobiologyou.bsky.social
🚨 New Publication Alert🚨

The Philosophical Transactions A issue “Planetary protection for sustainable space exploration” available online now!

👉 buff.ly/lQvjfyo
The Philosophical Transactions A issue “Planetary protection for sustainable space exploration” Available online now
February 12, 2026 at 12:52 PM
guywatkins.bsky.social
OMG, Trump - ironically through the EPA - has now reversed protections on things like greenhouse gas emissions, thus helping to further assist global warming and kill us all, faster.
February 12, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
chrislintott.bsky.social
Astronomers: highly recommend this thoughtful opinion piece by @hogg.bsky.social on how to think about our field in light of the development of large language models. whether you agree with him or not it’s vital to discuss the principles behind our science. 🔭 arxiv.org/abs/2602.10181
Why do we do astrophysics?
At time of writing, large language models (LLMs) are beginning to obtain the ability to design, execute, write up, and referee scientific projects on the data-science side of astrophysics. What implic...
arxiv.org
February 12, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
astrocalhau.bsky.social
I have many concerns, especially in regards to LLMs and gen-AI tendency to hallucinate perfectly valid-looking but non-existing data. But a small voice in the back of my head is also going "data-science is NOT why I became an astronomer" and which would welcome a greater focus on observing.
February 12, 2026 at 10:56 AM
guywatkins.bsky.social
This is a real shame: Scottish rocket firm Orbex set to appoint administrators.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Scottish rocket firm Orbex set to appoint administrators
Orbex, which employs about 160 people, said it has been unsuccessful in finding funds, a merger or a buyer.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 11, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
minnican.com
At this point I'm wondering why I even built an Observatory? 😭🔭🧪
February 11, 2026 at 7:11 AM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
astrobiology.bsky.social
XTREMOLIFE Project
astrobiology.com/2026/02/xtre... #astrobiology #extremophile #biotechnology
XTREMOLIFE Project - Astrobiology
Advancing Sampling And Screening Of Extremophile Microorganisms For biodiscovery Of Bioactive Compounds from Volcanic, Desert, and Polar Ecosystems
astrobiology.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
physicsworld.bsky.social
How do you track space debris as it makes its fiery descent through the Earth’s atmosphere? Geophysicists have come up with an intriguing new answer: use a network of earthquake sensors to follow the shock waves the debris creates. 🧪⚛️🔭 physicsworld.com/a/earthquake...
Earthquake-sensing network detects space debris as it falls to Earth – Physics World
Proof-of-principle experiment resolved the shock waves produced by the Shenzhou-15 module when it re-entered the atmosphere
physicsworld.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:31 PM
guywatkins.bsky.social
"Anniversary" is a great - if unsubtle - allegory of the Western Populist, Trumpian neo-fascist Project 2025. It's all the more scary because its dystopia is already happening in the US and Europe.
www.netflix.com/gb/title/826...
Watch Anniversary | Netflix
After meeting their son's aloof, ambitious new girlfriend, a couple watches their family fall apart as her extreme political project sweeps the nation.
www.netflix.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
xkcd.com
Carbon Dating

xkcd.com/3205/
Comic. [Person with ponytail pointing to diagram on wall as she talks to two other people, one with short hair.] PERSON 1: The high carbon content of the skeleton indicates that the individual lived less than 12.6 billion years ago, after the first round of stellar nucleosynthesis. [caption] Cosmologist carbon dating
February 10, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
astrobiologyou.bsky.social
As part of #NationalApprenticeWeek we want to celebrate Weronika, who started with AstrobiologyOU as a Microbiology Laboratory Apprentice in 2022. Since then she has gained the confidence and skills needed to become a Research Technician.
Left: Image of a woman in a white lab coat and blue gloves in a lab. Right (text): Weronika joined AstrobiologyOU as a Microbiology Laboratory Apprentice in 2022 and have gained the confidence and skills needed to become a Research Technician.
February 10, 2026 at 3:31 PM
guywatkins.bsky.social
As a FRAS, I will contact my MP to seek their support in persuading HMG to change course on a 30% cut to astronomy & space science resource grants, & up to 60% cuts for project teams. Did I pick the wrong choice of career-change? 🙁 @royalastrosoc.bsky.social 🔭⚛️🧪
ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
Proposed budget cuts a catastrophe for UK astronomy
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is gravely concerned at the drastic cuts to support for UK astronomy outlined by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (...
ras.ac.uk
February 10, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Guy Watkins
astrobrian.bsky.social
Aerobic metabolism might have evolved before the Great Oxidation Event.
#AncientEarth #scienceSky

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Molecular clock evidence for an Archean diversification of heme-copper oxygen reductase enzymes
Age estimates for the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis derived from molecular clock analyses reach back to the Archean, substantially predating ge…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 7, 2026 at 6:22 PM
guywatkins.bsky.social
I had no idea about this. I will be ditching my protein powder immediately, and focussing on natural protein sources instead.

Like most things in life, there are no short-cuts, especially when it comes to weight loss & nutrition.

www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...
Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports
CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.
www.consumerreports.org
February 6, 2026 at 7:35 AM
guywatkins.bsky.social
For fuck's sake...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK’s £8bn research fund faces “hard decisions” as it pauses new grants
UKRI boss Ian Chapman said it had been told by the government to
www.bbc.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 10:38 PM
guywatkins.bsky.social
If only there was a way to avoid this, like perhaps... rejoining the EU 🇪🇺
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Warning of long airport queues under new EU border control system
Airport organisation says queues could last up to six hours over the summer holidays.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 2:57 PM
guywatkins.bsky.social
Shouldn't *all* research be "curiosity driven"? I mean, the pursuit of truth and knowledge is kinda the point.
February 4, 2026 at 10:30 PM