Astrobiologist | University of Edinburgh | space microbiology; life in extreme environments; space settlement | moths | views mine.

Joined May 2021
63 Photos and videos
Charles Cockell retweeted
russia bombed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, setting one of the largest monasteries of Eastern Christianity on fire. Same crimes have been committed by the nazis and the soviets over 80 years ago. russia continues to adopt the customs of both. Help protect Ukraine: u24.gov.ua/sky-defense?utm_s…
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Charles Cockell retweeted
By striking the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of the greatest holy sites of Christianity, Putin has forever put his name on the list of history’s worst barbarians. He should be damned for centuries. And he will lose this war. From the Horde in the 13th century to the Nazis and Bolsheviks in the 20th century, Kyiv’s sacred monasteries have suffered numerous barbarically attacks. Now we are dealing with Russian terrorists who have already outmatched ISIS in their crimes against cultural heritage. Only Russian scum who have nothing sacred can deliberately damage the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a unique UNESCO heritage site under special protection. We will be urgently initiating all relevant procedures within UNESCO and all other international mechanisms, demanding immediate and adequate responses to this state barbarism. We expect strong reactions by international institutions and capitals. No vague words, silence, or weak steps. We need action now to stop Russian barbarism.
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Charles Cockell retweeted
standing ovation after King Charles sings the praises of NATO and says "that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine"
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When Earth transitions into a runaway greenhouse in ~2 billion years from now it will be 12°C in Edinburgh and quite windy.
England is the jammiest country in the world, its absolutely unreal
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Charles Cockell retweeted
Vance says that stopping funding for Ukraine is one of his proudest achievements in this administration. ​I’m watching this stunningly cruel speech from Ukraine, as Russia continues to kills us every day. Just today, they killed 8-year-old boy in Cherkasy and five people in Dnipro. Dozens more were injured. ​The military assistance you are so proud of stopping was used to save lives in a war Russia started and continues every day by choice, in a war that only became possible after USA pressured Ukraine into disarming... ​I do not know if Vance can fully comprehend the scale of the tragedy unfolding here: a brutal, illegal war of extermination by Russia, and the slow abandonment by our allies. There is nothing to be proud of. Absolutely nothing.
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Charles Cockell retweeted
Apr 6
A new milestone for humankind: The crew of Artemis II are now the farthest any human has ever travelled, reaching a maximum distance of 252,752 miles from Earth. This surpasses the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 by about 4,102 miles.
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The next installment of The Adventures of Taras will be available in June. This time he travels with a team of fearless friends to Antarctica... Book in Ukrainian and English. Illustrations by Yulia Zolotova. @nasc_ua
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Having previously travelled to Mars.
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Today marks the 30th anniversary of the day the national flag of Ukraine was raised at the Akademik Vernadsky Antarctic Station. Despite the war, or rather, even in the midst of war, we continue to advance our Ukrainian science. This is extremely important to us: we have people and achievements to be proud of. Ukrainian researchers and scientists are making a significant contribution to ensuring that our country is respected worldwide, while also developing our national science. I spoke with members of the 30th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition online and congratulated them on this milestone. The meeting also included participants of previous Ukrainian expeditions, who, after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, stood up to defend Ukraine. I thank our warriors for their service. I thank all our scientists for devoting themselves to this important work.
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Charles Cockell retweeted
We continue to publish unique archival footage from the first Ukrainian Antarctic expedition 🇦🇶🇺🇦 In the previous part, we showed what the journey to the Faraday station was like for the first group of this team. Now, watch how the British welcomed our team at the station and how they shared their experience to continue long-lasting measurements and operate the station. #Vernadsky30
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Charles Cockell retweeted
🇺🇦🇦🇶 Soon we will celebrate one of the key dates in the history of Ukrainian Antarctica. 6 February 2026 will mark 30 years since the transfer of the Antarctic station from Great Britain to Ukraine. We have unique archival footage for you showing how it all happened back in the mid-1990s. The first Ukrainian Antarctic expedition reached the station (then called Faraday) in three groups at different times. 🇬🇧 The first group travelled via Cambridge in November 1995 to undergo training on scientific equipment and life support devices. They were Hennadiy Milinevsky (base commander, geophysicist, ozonometerist), Roman Bratchyk (radio operator), Volodymyr Bakhmutov (geophysicist), Viktor Sytov (meteorologist) and Andriy Sydorivsky (diesel engineer). On 20 November, they flew to the Falklands, and on the 28th, they arrived at Faraday, which in two months would become Vernadsky. What was the journey of the first five Ukrainian explorers like and what does 🚢 Noosfera have to do with it? Watch the video. With it, we are launching a series of archival videos from the first Ukrainian Antarctic expedition. To be continued :) #Vernadsky30
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Charles Cockell retweeted
Are Ukraine's allies doing anything to help with this? Do they grasp the severity of the situation?
It’s -18 in Kyiv. We have not had such cold winter in ages. No heating, many residents do not have electricity as well. Russia keeps bombing Ukraine. Ukrainians pay extremely high price for our freedom #StopRussia #StandWithUkraine.
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Russia’s war against Ukraine has been genocidal from the start. Europe must help Ukraine.
The temperature in Kyiv residents’ apartments has dropped to as low as three degrees. In the center of Europe, Russia is freezing entire cities — and the world remains silent.
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Charles Cockell retweeted
How can this be happening in the year 2026? How can russia be allowed to do this? Where are Ukraine's allies? Where is the help? Where are the repercussions for russia?
⚡️ Kyiv energy crisis 'extremely serious,' as SBU presents evidence of Russian 'crimes against humanity.' President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan. 14 declared a state of emergency in the energy sector. kyivindependent.com/kyiv-ene…
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Charles Cockell retweeted
30 Dec 2025
The more atrocious the russian war crime, the louder russia celebrates. No one will ever forget what they did and no amount of blatant lying can cover it. War crimes do not have a statute of limitations.

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Charles Cockell retweeted
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Charles Cockell retweeted
Kyiv – a hell of flames. Europe – sleeps.
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