Elizabeth Preston

@inkfish.bsky.social

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Science journalist, humor writer and aspiring cephalopod. Working on a book about the evolution of parenting.

elizabethgpreston.com

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This is probably the @mcsweeneys.bsky.social headline I think of most often. www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/in-... (from 2018)

In Order to Keep Our Editorial Page Completely Balanced, We Are Hiring More Dipshitswww.mcsweeneys.net Here at the New York Times, we believe that all sides of the story should be tolerated and explored, from white supremacists being actually kinda c...

She also told me "We saw an animal!" "What kind of animal?" "It was called a fog." "A frog?" "No, a FOG." "I've...never heard of that animal." "It looked like a deer." "Fawn, honey. You saw a fawn."

Picked my 7-year-old up from her first day of forest camp. Her: "We had a word of the day! And...it wasn't abomination? Something like that." Me: "Um. Do you know what it meant?" Her: "Something that makes you better, like a bunny has long ears." Me: (trained for this moment) "Adaptation!!" 🧪

Are anyone else's pollinators missing? 🐝 I'm in MA and my hydrangeas are usually swarming with bees (like, children don't want to walk past) but right now are empty. My zucchinis are normally robust but this year I have only small, misshapen ones and I think they're under-pollinated. 🧪

OUT: scale bar IN: scale guy EVEN BETTER: scale guy in peril (figure source: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...) 🧪

Last week I faced my fear of biking on Boston-area streets and rode my bike to pick up my 4-year-old from daycare. She loved it, but turning off Mass Ave was hairy. This morning I asked if we should bike again and she said "Yes!!...Do a better job," and kissed me on the leg.

Can anyone who's tried this report back? 🧪

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Google's AI Overviews must create entirely new information in response to a search query. That costs an estimated *30 times* more energy than simply extracting information from a source through a traditional search. 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/what... by @parshallison.bsky.social

What Do Google’s AI Answers Cost the Environment?www.scientificamerican.com Google is bringing AI answers to a billion people this year, but generative AI requires much more energy than traditional keyword searches

Signs I’ve been working on this book too long: I told another parent on our camping trip that while the proximate cause for my daughter’s swimming tantrum was the water was too cold, the ultimate cause was she never ate her afternoon snack. 🧪

Just learned that a friend's kid's school has a whole spirit MONTH to end the year, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY a kindergarten-specific 26-day alphabet countdown (F = friendship day, M = mismatch day, etc.) and I'm never complaining again.

🧪 I have something important to share here, and it’s my first-grader’s crab haiku: Crabs Hiding behind rocks. Crabs making lot’s of babies. Pinching people hard.

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one of the most charming things about human beings is that they need explainers like this, something literally no other creatures in the animal kingdom need at all

Adding this to my collection of creepy-ass inaccurate AI animals available from stock photo sites:

The most effective motivator for me to stop scrolling social media is when my four-year-old asks me sincerely, “What are you looking for?”

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I am going to be really blunt here. My friend is dying of cancer. I wanted to get him a bunch of attention and at least a few art sales and I am failing so far 😞 Can you help?

I wrote about one of my art friends who has been dealing with cancer for six years. Please take a look substack.com/home/post/p-...

Matthew Parker: An Appreciationsubstack.com An artist on his work and living with cancer

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Hypervisible

No one has satisfactorily answered the fundamental question of why I should bother to read something you couldn't be bothered to write

Was driving around with my 4-year-old yesterday when she piped up from the back seat: "Mommy, how come the signs says DO NOT EVER, but they don't tell you what you're not supposed to do?"

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I see another "it is impossible to make a living writing" post making the rounds so I just want to tell you again about something the Icelandic government does. They give writers salaries to write books. Icelandic is such a small language, which makes for a very small book market ... 🧵

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I am not a real doctor but I am a real worm (gift link) wapo.st/3ydvblk

Opinion | I’m the worm that ate part of RFK Jr.’s brain, and I’m asking for your votewapo.st I am brave enough to say: I am a parasite, and I don’t understand what is best for the country!

Recently decided to tackle a weedy, ugly strip next to my house. Right after I started digging everything up, a 4-year-old neighbor walked by and said "Wow!! You're...doin something!" and that's the kind of validation I wish for all of you today.

Current status: Sitting in a zoom room where my interviewee didn't show up, and using the time to email a different person who ghosted me earlier in the week. Do we think my editor will be mad if my final three book chapters are fiction?

In 2024 I've started assuming I won't get a reply to my first email. Of course, sometimes I also stop getting replies in the middle of a thread. Pretty sure I've had more ghosting and non-responding this year than ever before.

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*runs through apartment* BEING A WRITER IS THE FUCKING BEST BECAUSE I GET TO TELL THE TRUTH FOR A LIVING.

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For anyone who needs a palate cleanser from the news, and/or is a fellow parent living for the weekdays, I'm at @mcsweeneys.bsky.social today: www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/day...

Days of the Week, Redefined for Parentswww.mcsweeneys.net Monday is your new Saturday morning, the start of the weekend. Once your kids are at school, you have a lazy morning of self-care (clearing your in...

For anyone who needs a palate cleanser from the news, and/or is a fellow parent living for the weekdays, I'm at @mcsweeneys.bsky.social today: www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/day...

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Effective climate action isn't just about pushing for change 24-7. I'm increasingly convinced that self-care is also essential. Spending time with the people we love, in the places we love, doing the things we love, is what fuels our capacity to love and fight for a better future for all. ❤️🌎

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Good morning! A reminder that generative AI is a tool of the oppressor and should not be used for amusement, information, or income! Or for anything! Eat shit, robots! Have a great day, humans!

My 7-year-old had her tiniest friend over yesterday for a playdate, and a game of hide & seek became high-stakes when it was 3 minutes before pickup and we couldn't find him. Luckily he didn't weigh enough to fall through the rotten part of the porch where he turned up with 1 minute to spare.

I got a few good responses yesterday (thank you!); reposting today in case anyone else wants to tell me a story about a very pair-bonded bird. 🧪

For my book: I'm seeking examples of a bird that had a striking reaction to losing its partner. Could be historical, from scientific literature, or personal experience. Or other impressive illustrations of pair bonding. Tell me a bird story?? 🧪

What makes this even better is that the company also sent everyone a tide chart for the whole next week.