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Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
@helencooksley.bsky.social
Scientist in London. Space, travelling, football, books, food, anything and everything
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
🚀🚀
April 15, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Freiburg, Germany, Central Station Bookshop (right @the center of the shop‘s entryway):
“This is a selection of books which are banned at schools in the US“.
#UniteAgainstBookBans
#FreedomToRead
@ala-pla.bsky.social
@librarypolicy.bsky.social
April 4, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
The best thing about using a colander to view the eclipse is that it doesn’t strain your eyes.
😆
Turns out a colander works pretty well for eclipse spotting.
#SolarEclipse
March 29, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Rich people do not pay Income Tax.

The richest 1% pay Income Tax on less than 20% of their Income.

This is because nearly 70% of them don't have a job, they are all Landlords and Stock Traders paying a maximum tax of 20%, if they even pay that.

Meanwhile you pay 47%.
March 26, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
New figures reveal 4.5 million children in the UK are growing up in poverty — the highest ever recorded.

Meanwhile, UK billionaires saw their wealth rise to £795 billion last year — another record.

We have resources to end child poverty. We need a wealth tax on the super-rich.
March 27, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
UK Chancellor Reeves goes full Trump, 'to slash 50,000 civil service jobs', cut spending by £2 billion per year.

So, there is less money in the economy.

Knock-on effect? Loss of tax revenues? Pressure on families, welfare benefits and public services?

Austerity because govt won't tax the rich.
Reeves 'to slash 50,000 civil service jobs' as she pushes to cut spending by £2 billion per year
Rachel Reeves' spending plans are likely to mean 50,000 job losses in the civil service, a trade union has warned.
www.lbc.co.uk
March 24, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
March 24, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Brilliant news on a Friday afternoon: gov will launch new natural history GCSE. It's taken Mary Colwell, @carolinelucas.bsky.social & others years of campaigning. (I'm praying it'll be introduced quickly enough for my children!)
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Department for Education confirms launch of natural history GCSE
Campaigners have been calling for the qualification for years but plan stalled despite a curriculum being drawn up
www.theguardian.com
March 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
"Wales’s 20mph speed limit has cut road deaths. Why is there still even a debate?" - really nice to see our motonormativity research being used to explain this. Cheers, @peterwalker99.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
Wales’s 20mph speed limit has cut road deaths. Why is there still even a debate?
Research suggests the scheme may be more popular than thought, with consultations dominated by a loud minority
www.theguardian.com
March 22, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Brexit a key factor in worst UK medicine shortages in four years, report says

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Brexit a key factor in worst UK medicine shortages in four years, report says
Nuffield Trust says supply chains have shifted, with medicines for epilepsy and cystic fibrosis among those now scarce
www.theguardian.com
March 22, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
UK billionaires added £182,000,000,000 to their wealth last year. That’s £35,000,000 every single day.

Their combined wealth is £795,361,000,000.

So don't let anyone tell you austerity is a “necessity”. There’s more than enough wealth to fund our NHS, public services & welfare.
March 22, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
More taxes? Yes please! Patriotic Millionaires want to do more for the country

“Tax our wealth” – that’s the message from millionaires across the UK whose campaign is hitting the road ahead of the government’s spring statement

@patmillsuk.bsky.social @joing.bsky.social
More taxes? Yes please! Patriotic Millionaires want to do more for the country
“Tax our wealth” – that’s the message from millionaires across the UK whose campaign is hitting the road ahead of the government’s spring statement
yorkshirebylines.co.uk
March 18, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
We're in London today with a big old bus to tell our Govt this country cannot afford cuts. Instead they should tax us, the super rich. A 2% wealth tax alone could raise up to £460mln a week. @Keir_starmer - invest in a fairer economy. Patriotic Millionaires say Tax Our Wealth
March 18, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
In just 20 days...

🚀 Full STEAM Ahead kicks off in Manchester – the ultimate event for STEAM educators! 🔬🌟

We’ve got an incredible lineup of speakers, including top STEAM experts, content creators, and tutoring superstars. This is your chance to:

🌐 Network with the best in the field

🛠️ Skill-swap
March 16, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
🆘 LIVE in Foley Square, NYC. We’re marching to #StopTheCuts and #SaveMedicaid.

@bkindivisible.bsky.social #StoptheCoup #Resist
March 15, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
All scientists, regardless of research discipline or geography, are potential targets of cyberattacks. “The problem is bigger than any one president, prime minister or leader of a totalitarian or authoritarian state.” New @nature.com, some timely advice, by @drmichaelbrooks.bsky.social 🧪
Stay safe from online hate with these five tips
In this era of anti-science activism, it‘s wise to take steps to protect your research and reputation in the digital realm.
www.nature.com
March 14, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
A French University is funding a Safe Place For Science program meant to recruit scientists who cannot continue their work in the US. www.univ-amu.fr/fr/public/a...
March 13, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
£6 billion in cuts to welfare & disability benefits that will push 700,000 into poverty — instead of taxing the super-rich.

Spending on weapons of destruction — instead of helping the world’s poorest.

These political choices are cruel.

This isn’t the “change” people voted for.
March 10, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
This is devastating.

This is what happens when you prioritise the profits of mega corporations over the people.

The NHS needs extra funding, not more austerity and cuts.
March 10, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Neoliberal achievements.

Higher homelessness, food insecurity, malnutrition, lack of good food/housing, fuel poverty, sewage in rivers, crumbling schools.

Underfunded NHS can't provide timely care.

Corporations making record profits. Rich got richer in a corrupt political system.
The UN's damning verdict on UK poverty must inspire us to force change
The United Nations criticised UK poverty rates and called for the DWP to scrap the two-child limit and benefit cap.
www.bigissue.com
March 10, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Women Resisters!
March 8, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
The United Nations (UN) has urged Keir Starmer to scrap the controversial two-child limit and reverse the five-week wait for universal credit in a warning that the UK government is infringing human rights with the ongoing poverty crisis
@bigissue.com
www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
DWP should increase benefits and scrap two-child limit, UN says
The United Nations has urged the Labour government to scrap the DWP two-child limit and raise benefits in warning over poverty failures.
www.bigissue.com
March 8, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
At the DC #standupforscience today.

The question was “Why are you here?” She came up with this on her own! (I helped her with the spelling)

So proud of her! #standupforscience2025
@standupforscience.bsky.social
March 8, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Reposted by Helen Cooksley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Happy International Women's Day! Despite the efforts, while much more women enter scientific fields, due to numerous factors, few manage to remain in the field or secure senior positions. Support your coworkers, call out harmful systemic behaviour. 😘
March 8, 2025 at 12:24 PM