Thomas Cheney
@thomascheney.bsky.social
Academic, (outer) Space Governance at Northumbria University. Legal geography and environmental humanities of space governance (space resources, planetary protection, astrobiology, settlement etc). Working on project 'Life the Ultimate Frontier'. He/him.
Pinned
Thomas Cheney
@thomascheney.bsky.social
· Jan 24
Now that I've signed the contract and its properly official, very excited to announce that I'm writing a book for Bloomsbury Academic titled: Space, the Final Resource Frontier? The Governance of Planetary and Extraplanetary Natural Resources which should be published sometime in 2028 (ish)
at Newcastle we did this - called 'reading history' - I did Orientalism, changed my life
Since I heard Penn State launched a course called "One Book Slowly" this year (Eric Hayot is teaching Madame Bovary) I can't stop thinking about it
I think the greatest gift college professors in the humanities can give to students right now is a seminar room where, for 80 minutes twice a week, nothing that happens to them is a sales pitch for an AI product.
February 11, 2026 at 11:24 PM
at Newcastle we did this - called 'reading history' - I did Orientalism, changed my life
oh good another example of ridiculous hype i can share with my students - Claude is an impressive chatbot but if it raises questions about selfhood then youve not engaged with that question before and perhaps should do some reading or you know watch an episode of star trek...
Experiments conducted with the A.I. system Claude are producing fascinating results—and raising questions about the nature of selfhood. Gideon Lewis-Kraus reports from inside the company that designed it, Anthropic. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/rOfXjg
February 11, 2026 at 4:08 PM
oh good another example of ridiculous hype i can share with my students - Claude is an impressive chatbot but if it raises questions about selfhood then youve not engaged with that question before and perhaps should do some reading or you know watch an episode of star trek...
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
ICYMI, as I re-read the historiography of the atomic bombings & WWII for #DissertationWriting
… @wellerstein.bsky.social’s “The Most Awful Responsibility” is an excellent book and I strongly recommend it (in part as a correction to our nationalist nuclear mythmaking).
I cite it several times.
… @wellerstein.bsky.social’s “The Most Awful Responsibility” is an excellent book and I strongly recommend it (in part as a correction to our nationalist nuclear mythmaking).
I cite it several times.
I have finished reading @wellerstein.bsky.social’s new book which makes NEW ARGUMENTS about Truman & nuclear decision making.
I am a demanding reader (& scholar).
alexwellerstein.com/writing/book...
This = excellent book:
-well written & engaging
-sourced
-accessible
-mostly convincing*
I am a demanding reader (& scholar).
alexwellerstein.com/writing/book...
This = excellent book:
-well written & engaging
-sourced
-accessible
-mostly convincing*
The Most Awful Responsibility – Alex Wellerstein
alexwellerstein.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:30 PM
ICYMI, as I re-read the historiography of the atomic bombings & WWII for #DissertationWriting
… @wellerstein.bsky.social’s “The Most Awful Responsibility” is an excellent book and I strongly recommend it (in part as a correction to our nationalist nuclear mythmaking).
I cite it several times.
… @wellerstein.bsky.social’s “The Most Awful Responsibility” is an excellent book and I strongly recommend it (in part as a correction to our nationalist nuclear mythmaking).
I cite it several times.
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
this looks like a really cool CFP.
Here’s a working link! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
February 11, 2026 at 12:34 PM
this looks like a really cool CFP.
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
One hill I will die on is that are richer insights for British politicos from, say, Swedish politics than there are from American politics.
Think British politics generally is very bad at realising there is an entire content nearby to learn stuff from. Especially true on the right.
Sometimes wonder whether UK politics and policymaking towards the EU would improve markedly in quality and outcomes if more British diplomats and academics trained in the Oxbridge style followed UK MOD's lead CJEF lead in having to do a year working for French policy institutions in Paris
February 11, 2026 at 11:54 AM
One hill I will die on is that are richer insights for British politicos from, say, Swedish politics than there are from American politics.
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
Nuneaton has much more in common with Norrköping or Paderborn than it has with Peoria.
February 11, 2026 at 11:56 AM
Nuneaton has much more in common with Norrköping or Paderborn than it has with Peoria.
having three different room booking systems is great, wonderful way to organise things, causes no problems
February 11, 2026 at 11:58 AM
having three different room booking systems is great, wonderful way to organise things, causes no problems
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
our FT story from June 2023 showed:
Mandelson stayed at Epstein’s $77m townhouse in Manhattan in June 2009 while the financier was in prison for soliciting prostitution from minor
in 2010 and 2011 Epstein noted that “Petie” was with him in Paris, where the financier owned a sumptuous apartment
Mandelson stayed at Epstein’s $77m townhouse in Manhattan in June 2009 while the financier was in prison for soliciting prostitution from minor
in 2010 and 2011 Epstein noted that “Petie” was with him in Paris, where the financier owned a sumptuous apartment
February 11, 2026 at 7:59 AM
our FT story from June 2023 showed:
Mandelson stayed at Epstein’s $77m townhouse in Manhattan in June 2009 while the financier was in prison for soliciting prostitution from minor
in 2010 and 2011 Epstein noted that “Petie” was with him in Paris, where the financier owned a sumptuous apartment
Mandelson stayed at Epstein’s $77m townhouse in Manhattan in June 2009 while the financier was in prison for soliciting prostitution from minor
in 2010 and 2011 Epstein noted that “Petie” was with him in Paris, where the financier owned a sumptuous apartment
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
It might even be better for America and the rest of the world if America's soft power is defined less by a myth of Texan machismo and more by an ethos of Minnesotan solidarity
February 10, 2026 at 8:37 PM
It might even be better for America and the rest of the world if America's soft power is defined less by a myth of Texan machismo and more by an ethos of Minnesotan solidarity
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
On a more optimistic note, successful civil society resistance against Trump's authoritarianism in places like Minnesota could be a step towards restoring a more positive form of American soft power
people born in america probably don’t realize how cool america used to be. the death of US soft power is going to have long term consequences we are only beginning to see
February 10, 2026 at 8:34 PM
On a more optimistic note, successful civil society resistance against Trump's authoritarianism in places like Minnesota could be a step towards restoring a more positive form of American soft power
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
Friends, can I ask you to spread the word that we have a THREE-YEAR postdoc in American history at Cambridge up for grabs - ANY field, but applications are due March 1 so don't delay - apply, apply, apply! networks.h-net.org/jobs/69790/u...
February 10, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Friends, can I ask you to spread the word that we have a THREE-YEAR postdoc in American history at Cambridge up for grabs - ANY field, but applications are due March 1 so don't delay - apply, apply, apply! networks.h-net.org/jobs/69790/u...
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
Are you an archaeologist or heritage professional concerned with the increasing use of pseudoarchaeology to erode faith in expert opinion, rewrite history, or prop up supremacist ideologies?
This Call for Papers is for you!
Join us at the @can-arch.bsky.social 2026 conference!
Link in the reply.
This Call for Papers is for you!
Join us at the @can-arch.bsky.social 2026 conference!
Link in the reply.
February 10, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Are you an archaeologist or heritage professional concerned with the increasing use of pseudoarchaeology to erode faith in expert opinion, rewrite history, or prop up supremacist ideologies?
This Call for Papers is for you!
Join us at the @can-arch.bsky.social 2026 conference!
Link in the reply.
This Call for Papers is for you!
Join us at the @can-arch.bsky.social 2026 conference!
Link in the reply.
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
Are you a Palestinian wanting to move to the UK for a Law Master e.g. our LLM/MSc Law, Technology and Innovation? The University of Strathclyde offers 2 scholarships www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/...
Humanitarian Scholarship for Displaced Palestinians | University of Strathclyde
www.strath.ac.uk
February 10, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Are you a Palestinian wanting to move to the UK for a Law Master e.g. our LLM/MSc Law, Technology and Innovation? The University of Strathclyde offers 2 scholarships www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/...
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
I have a whole week on energy and extraction planned for H-Environment Reviews! #envhist #envhum #extraction #mining 🔋🪫🛢️🪨
February 9, 2026 at 3:50 PM
I have a whole week on energy and extraction planned for H-Environment Reviews! #envhist #envhum #extraction #mining 🔋🪫🛢️🪨
And just in general I don't think space mining is all that great of an idea - Non-use of Space
Reconsidering Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and the Useability of Space Resources, Non-use Measures for Global Goods and Commons in International Law Open Access)
brill.com/edcollchap-o...
Reconsidering Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and the Useability of Space Resources, Non-use Measures for Global Goods and Commons in International Law Open Access)
brill.com/edcollchap-o...
February 10, 2026 at 3:06 PM
And just in general I don't think space mining is all that great of an idea - Non-use of Space
Reconsidering Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and the Useability of Space Resources, Non-use Measures for Global Goods and Commons in International Law Open Access)
brill.com/edcollchap-o...
Reconsidering Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and the Useability of Space Resources, Non-use Measures for Global Goods and Commons in International Law Open Access)
brill.com/edcollchap-o...
I'd love to see a piece from Adeene on this but while we wait, may I suggest my commentary of viewing space mining as an extension of extractivism rather than anything 'new': www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/...
February 10, 2026 at 3:01 PM
I'd love to see a piece from Adeene on this but while we wait, may I suggest my commentary of viewing space mining as an extension of extractivism rather than anything 'new': www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/...
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
*raises hand* this is me! I will probably never move back to the UK given how awful the research funding situation is.
Also, prohibitive immigration rules would make it difficult and expensive for my (EU) partner to move there, adding another financial disincentive on ever returning.
Also, prohibitive immigration rules would make it difficult and expensive for my (EU) partner to move there, adding another financial disincentive on ever returning.
UK could ‘lose generation of scientists’ with cuts to projects and research facilities
UK could ‘lose generation of scientists’ with cuts to projects and research facilities
UK’s research funding body warned best scientists taking posts oversees due to lack of job stability at home
Hundreds of early career researchers have warned that the UK will lose a generation of scientists after the announcement of significant cuts to physics projects and cutting edge research facilities.
Scientists working in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics have been told their grants will be cut by nearly a third, with project leaders asked to report back on how their research would fare with cuts up to 60%. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:18 AM
*raises hand* this is me! I will probably never move back to the UK given how awful the research funding situation is.
Also, prohibitive immigration rules would make it difficult and expensive for my (EU) partner to move there, adding another financial disincentive on ever returning.
Also, prohibitive immigration rules would make it difficult and expensive for my (EU) partner to move there, adding another financial disincentive on ever returning.
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
PSA
If Bad Bunny can cover the history of Puerto Rico, colonialism, transatlantic slavery, hemispheric consciousness, as well as contemporary life and politics in under 14 minutes, you can do your 15- or 20-minute conference presentation with time to spare.
February 10, 2026 at 1:49 AM
PSA
And this is why I personally wont be going to the US anytime soon, my parents overstayed but as I left before I was 18 its ok, dont qualify for an ESTA but I do have a valid B2 but my concerns that that wouldnt matter were right
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Irish man with valid US work permit held in ICE detention for five months
Seamus Culleton has lived in US for two decades, married a citizen and runs a plastering business but faces deportation
www.theguardian.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:55 AM
And this is why I personally wont be going to the US anytime soon, my parents overstayed but as I left before I was 18 its ok, dont qualify for an ESTA but I do have a valid B2 but my concerns that that wouldnt matter were right
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
Maybe Tim Allan got a new career opportunity to present a home improvement youtube channel
Keir Starmer's spokesman won't say why his Comms Director Tim Allan resigned, when Starmer first knew he was resigning, or whether he asked him to step down.
Also won't say whether evidence has been found suggesting an ongoing relationship between Allan and Mandelson
Also won't say whether evidence has been found suggesting an ongoing relationship between Allan and Mandelson
February 9, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Maybe Tim Allan got a new career opportunity to present a home improvement youtube channel
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
It is terribly sad that the former PM feels the need to say this in the face of low life blowhards.
We cannot allow this to even be a question.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
We cannot allow this to even be a question.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
‘I’m British, English and British Asian’, says Rishi Sunak in riposte to racially charged debate over identity
Podcaster claimed former prime minister not English because he is ‘brown-skinned Hindu’
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 7:06 AM
It is terribly sad that the former PM feels the need to say this in the face of low life blowhards.
We cannot allow this to even be a question.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
We cannot allow this to even be a question.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
He really is a pathetic coward. of course he saw it, thats why he posted it.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Trump says he 'didn't see' part of video with racist clip depicting Obamas as apes
The US president says he "didn't make a mistake", adding he had only seen the beginning of the video before it was posted.
www.bbc.com
February 7, 2026 at 8:55 AM
He really is a pathetic coward. of course he saw it, thats why he posted it.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
3-year postdoc opportunity at Durham University - any department, any field. Detailed guidance in the link - note that you need a mentor from a relevant department to mentor and support your application.
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
addison-wheeler-fellowship - Durham University
www.durham.ac.uk
February 6, 2026 at 10:26 AM
3-year postdoc opportunity at Durham University - any department, any field. Detailed guidance in the link - note that you need a mentor from a relevant department to mentor and support your application.
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
My postdoc at @durham.ac.uk is now open for applications! Three years research, open field.
Happy to answer any questions/chat/give feedback on applications.
NB: You *must* be nominated by a department - check with the department for the internal procedure/deadline.
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
Happy to answer any questions/chat/give feedback on applications.
NB: You *must* be nominated by a department - check with the department for the internal procedure/deadline.
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
addison-wheeler-fellowship - Durham University
www.durham.ac.uk
February 6, 2026 at 10:08 AM
My postdoc at @durham.ac.uk is now open for applications! Three years research, open field.
Happy to answer any questions/chat/give feedback on applications.
NB: You *must* be nominated by a department - check with the department for the internal procedure/deadline.
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
Happy to answer any questions/chat/give feedback on applications.
NB: You *must* be nominated by a department - check with the department for the internal procedure/deadline.
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
Reposted by Thomas Cheney
An excellent open-letter enumerating the dangers to early career researchers and then wider society of proposed changes to UK science funding
ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
Early-career researchers may like to add their signatures
🧪⚛️🔭 #AcademicSky #UKpol
ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
Early-career researchers may like to add their signatures
🧪⚛️🔭 #AcademicSky #UKpol
Early Career Researchers Response to UKRI Investment Approach
ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
February 5, 2026 at 10:40 AM
An excellent open-letter enumerating the dangers to early career researchers and then wider society of proposed changes to UK science funding
ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
Early-career researchers may like to add their signatures
🧪⚛️🔭 #AcademicSky #UKpol
ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
Early-career researchers may like to add their signatures
🧪⚛️🔭 #AcademicSky #UKpol