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Sean McMahon

@seanhmcmahon.bsky.social

190 followers 130 following 44 posts

Astrobiologist & palaeobiologist @ Univ. Edinburgh / Co-director, UK Centre for Astrobiology / Director, MSc Astrobiology & Planetary Sciences / Deputy Chair, Council for the Defence of British Universities. https://www.astrobiology.ac.uk/mcmahon-group

www.astrobiology.ac.uk

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 25d

For those in UK #academia, please give @cdbu.bsky.social a follow and think about joining us. CDBU's work to influence UK university policy and governance on behalf of academic values is very much needed in the present polycrisis. For some reason we never got much attention on Twitter... cdbu.org.uk

Council for the Defence of British Universities | CDBU

The Council for the Defence of British Universities is proud to fund research into many aspects of higher education in the UK, including governance, policy, ...

cdbu.org.uk

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 3h

That's true, but the individual VC is the tip of an iceberg. More than sixty employees of my university receive higher salaries than the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Senior "leadership" salaries are inflated across the board, and it adds up to a really serious waste of money.

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Reposted by Sean McMahon

Steven Gawoski @stevengawoski.bsky.social · 1d

Ordovician Star Cluster 8/17 24" X 20" Colored Pencil on Paper #sciart #gawoski #fossil

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 2d

Really nice to see my work with Peter Vickers, Cyrille Jeancolas, Cat Gillen, and others make the cover of Sciences et Avenir :-). You can read the original paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Sciences et Avenir @sciencesetavenir.bsky.social · 10d

👽🛸 Sommes-nous seuls ? La quête d'une activité biologique extraterrestre fait désormais l'objet de recherches approfondies. Sur Mars, au cœur des lunes océans de Saturne et Jupiter, et au-delà vers les exoplanètes...

En vente jusqu'au 22 octobre 👉 https://l.sciencesetavenir.fr/QoH

Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 9d

"Farewell to the NASA we knew, and to all the employees that made America the great place it was for so many decades. From here on out, things will never be the same." Just heartbreaking. bigthink.com/starts-with-...

Thousands of NASA employees to bid farewell to the NASA they knew

As October begins, thousands of longtime NASA employees are leaving the agency. 4000+ will exit by January 9, 2026, changing NASA forever.

bigthink.com

Reposted by Sean McMahon

UNITED24 @u24.gov.ua · 11d

Today's Defenders Day in Ukraine.
Our defenders are addressing the world to remind everyone what Ukraine is fighting for: a safe childhood for children, peaceful land, internationally recognized borders, justice for every innocent victim, and a free, independent Europe.
Thank you, Heroes!

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 11d

Another great study from Khawaja and colleagues. www.nature.com/articles/s41.... Tantalising clues here that Enceladus might actually be doing stuff, not just spitting out the same comet-like organic molecules it contained when it formed. But more data needed! #astrobiology #originoflife

Detection of organic compounds in freshly ejected ice grains from Enceladus’s ocean - Nature Astronomy

Fresh ice grains from Enceladus’s plume were analysed during the highest-speed fly-by of the Cassini spacecraft. Organic compounds with a range of chemical structures were discovered, suggesting comprehensive subsurface chemistry on Enceladus.

www.nature.com

Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 12d

I am once again asking NASA to find a way of launching Trump into the Sun. He'll finally get the tan he's always wanted.

David Grinspoon @drfunkyspoon.bsky.social · 13d

“The Destruction of NASA’s Mission” Whistleblowers reveal OMB’s Unconstitutional Plot to Gut the Agency

New from Committee on Commerce, Science, Transportation Ranking Member Maria Cantwell.

NOTE: This is indeed what I have seen going on inside NASA.
🧪🔭

www.commerce.senate.gov/services/fil...

Reposted by Sean McMahon

Emily Mitchell @egmitchell.bsky.social · 21d

Beautiful #Ediacaran fossil light on the E surface at Mistaken Point 🤩

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Council for the Defence of British Universities @cdbu.bsky.social · 17d

We are pleased to share this letter written by one of our members, Professor Leo McCann 👏https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/16/how-ai-is-undermining-learning-and-teaching-in-universities

How AI is undermining learning and teaching in universities | Letter

Letter: Prof Leo McCann and Prof Simon Sweeney say student misuse of generative artificial intelligence is widespread and we must be sceptical of its usefulness

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Sean McMahon

Council for the Defence of British Universities @cdbu.bsky.social · 20d

We are pleased to publish our Position on the Unsustainability of UK University Funding Models. Visit our website to read it in full:

The Unsustainability of University Funding Models | CDBU

cdbu.org.uk

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Reposted by Sean McMahon

Steve Brusatte @stevebrusatte.bsky.social · 20d

If this plan is implemented, it will cripple British universities and health care, and tear apart families.

All 'skilled' immigrants will require £60k salary & cannot use NHS. Permanent residence will be scrapped entirely. Citizenship made insanely hard.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Farage vows to scrap indefinite leave to remain, placing thousands at risk of deportation

Reform UK plans to force non-citizens to apply for visas with high salary thresholds and no access to NHS services

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Sean McMahon

🦕Journal of Systematic Palaeontology🦴 @journalsystpal.bsky.social · 24d

New Paper by Parry et al., reinterpreting the oldest diverse #jellyfish fauna as sessile polypoid dinomischids 🪼

These findings significantly expand the temporal and geographical range of dinomischids, elucidating their morphological and taphonomic variation.

buff.ly/ERV7P3C

#PaleoSky #Fossils

Browse all journals

doi.org

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 25d

You'd be very welcome to join the CDBU and it would be great to have your perspective. In advance, welcome to the UK :-)

Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 25d

Council for the Defence of British Universities | CDBU

The Council for the Defence of British Universities is proud to fund research into many aspects of higher education in the UK, including governance, policy, ...

cdbu.org.uk

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 26d

I think most of us here at the UK Centre for Astrobiology in Edinburgh would agree with you here :-) Come visit some time!

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 26d

PS. Oh no, I forgot @edarrd.bsky.social is actually on here! (Sorry, Edwin)

Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 26d

... here's the link (open access) www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Diversity of organic-walled microfossils in the phosphates of the ca. 1-Ga Diabaig Formation, Torridon Group, NW Scotland | Journal of Paleontology | Cambridge Core

Diversity of organic-walled microfossils in the phosphates of the ca. 1-Ga Diabaig Formation, Torridon Group, NW Scotland

www.cambridge.org

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 26d

New paper led by my PhD student, Edwin Rodriguez! Building on previous work, we present a systematic description of the ONE BILLION YEAR OLD fossils of the phosphates of the Diabaig Formation, NW Scotland — including some early eukaryotes and new species... #paleontology #fossils #geology

Microscope image of fossils showing new genus and species Minimarmilla multicatenaria, with strap-like bundles comprising filamentous strands of rectangular cell-like units. The entire specimen is about half a millimetre across.

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · 29d

Just discovered this absolute gem of a time-saver. Thanks @anboa4.bsky.social!

Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · Sep 11

Ambiguous evidence for possible biosignatures on Mars, you say? Who could have anticipated such a thing?! www.lyellcollection.org/doi/full/10....

False biosignatures on Mars: anticipating ambiguity | Journal of the Geological Society

It is often acknowledged that the search for life on Mars might produce false positive results, particularly via the detection of objects, patterns or substances that resemble the products of life in ...

www.lyellcollection.org

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Reposted by Sean McMahon

Dr Ryan MacDonald @distantworlds.space · Sep 9

We observed the habitable zone planet TRAPPIST-1e with JWST to search for an atmosphere.

You've seen the headlines, now let's dive into the science! 🧪

THREAD (1/N)

#Exoplanets 🔭

A rocky planet in its star’s ‘habitable zone’ could be the first known to have an atmosphere – here’s what we found

The largest telescope in space has been trained on a rocky exoplanet.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Sean McMahon

Sarah Hörst @planetdr.bsky.social · Sep 10

Everyone writing about Perseverance today should be asking how many of the scientists and engineers who were involved in this discovery no longer work for NASA bc of Trump.

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Sean McMahon @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social · Sep 10

My take on the exciting new Nature paper out today. Key point: in astrobiology, the lack of a non-biological explanation isn’t where life detection ends – it’s where it begins. When we can’t think of a non-biological explanation for something, it’s usually not because there isn’t one...

Signs of ancient life may have been found in Martian rock – new study

The rock is peppered with spots that could have been formed by microbes four billion years ago.

theconversation.com

Reposted by Sean McMahon

Ribosome Studio @ribosomestudio.bsky.social · Sep 9

The Type IV secretion system is a complex bacterial structure that extends across the inner and outer membranes

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Andrej Spiridonov @andrejpaleo.bsky.social · Sep 8

Nice gift "Plate Tectonics Flip Book" from the author Ch. Scotese to our tectonist J. Lazauskienė 😀

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