Freelance science journalist @nytimes etc., silly stuff @mcsweeneys. I'm not here! Find me on Bluesky (https://xitter.cf/t.co/l7MDEaKhIk) or Insta (by.elizabeth.preston)
Boston-ish
Joined June 2011
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Thrilled that I'm going to get to tell the stories of parents and other caretakers across the planet, from the cuddly to the creepy-crawly (whenever my own offspring are, of course, far away from me):
Elizabeth Preston retweeted
love to make unacceptably political comments about the weather like washingtonpost.com/opinions/…
Elizabeth Preston retweeted
"When I wrote these words, I lived alone, in the bathroom, three to ten feet from any family member, in a house of solitude which I had built myself, by locking the door."
mcsweeneys.net/articles/wall…
Happy birthday to Thoreau, who probably would have hated this! My latest for @mcsweeneys: mcsweeneys.net/articles/wall…
One thing about being from a place like Syracuse, NY, is that it only makes the national news when something deranged happens in a neighboring suburb (such as three teens killing and eating a celebrity swan under the impression that it was a large duck): nytimes.com/2023/06/01/nyreg…
Elizabeth Preston retweeted
As spring gives way to summer, you’re sure to notice wasps and hornets buzzing around you. Test your identification skills with our quiz. nyti.ms/3nYIelF
Oh my God this is so good
"There will be THREE MUSKETEER (active shooter) drills be-TWIX’d standardized testing sessions this week. We apologize for the time CRUNCH—please TAKE 5 minutes of self-care today." #TeacherAppreciationWeek
mcsweeneys.net/articles/than…
As wasps and other buzzing critters show up this spring, don't let a scary nickname psych you out! Boost your wasp savvy with this quiz I wrote for @NYTScience: nytimes.com/interactive/2023…
Elizabeth Preston retweeted
Oh I can help with this one. She is the woman you're about to pay $5 million to
Signs you might have a six-year-old: You looked up the correct pronunciation of "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis" to settle an argument and now someone's demanding that you apologize for ruining their life
I strongly relate to this, and would add that it’s extra crazy-making to be navigating 2 weeks of illness and work loss at the exact time the rest of the country/world has decided Covid Is Over.
Whoops! I tried to write a silly coronation-themed story for @NYTScience and now termites are my new favorite social insects (apologies to the ants, bees and wasps): nytimes.com/2023/05/05/scien…
Some things I learned that didn’t make it into the article:
- Rather than letting their daughters inherit their reproductive thrones, some queen termites clone themselves before they die
- Termites can’t live alone or they’ll be immediately enveloped in fungus. They need a buddy to clean them. So some adult termites that can’t find mates settle down in male-male or female-female pairs.
By me!
While millions of eyes are on the coronation of Charles III this weekend, other male monarchs will carry on ruling in obscurity — literal obscurity, because they live in darkness underground, or maybe in a piece of rotting wood. nyti.ms/3NCcQ76
Elizabeth Preston retweeted
North Atlantic right whales seem to find food by sniffing for a chemical cue. Scientists are hoping to turn this into an early warning system to help save the imperiled species. 🐋
Written by @Inkfish
l8r.it/6P8D
Frankly rude for this article to come out as I'm sitting at home with my first case of Covid, which I acquired out of thin air after 3+ years of precautions
Covid cases are the lowest they’ve been in years. Is the pandemic waning, or is this just a reprieve until the next wave hits? Here’s what experts have to say about the current situation and what the future might hold. nyti.ms/3HeJ8kx
"We should note that the risks go up with repeated infection and that it’s rational for even the healthiest among us to try to take reasonable measures to avoid getting Covid." Thank you @KendraWrites for saying this: niemanreports.org/articles/t…
Kindergartener was listing the kids of my friend who visited recently, then got stuck.
Her: "What's the baby's name?"
Me: "You mean Orla?"
Her: "No, remember you showed me a video with a pop and blue confetti?"
Me: "Oh, that baby isn't born yet."
Her: "Then what was the pop??"
