Elizabeth Shockman

Elizabeth Shockman is a freelance journalist who lives in the Twin Cities. Previously she worked as a staff member and freelancer, reporting primarily from Moscow and around Russia.


A vaquita.

This is the controversial plan underway to save the endangered whale-like vaquita

Environment

The vaquita is a rare cetacean species that lives in the Gulf of California. And efforts by poachers to catch another endangered fish are also entangling the vaquitas.The vaquita is a rare cetacean species that lives in the Gulf of California. And efforts by poachers to catch another endangered fish are also entangling the vaquitas.

Voting booths. Credit: Shutterstock

There’s work to be done to make US elections secure — and it has nothing to do with voter ID

Election 2016

The physics behind the world’s fastest swim strokes

Science
Danny McBride as Neal Gamby in “Vice Principals” (Fred Norris / HBO)

Danny McBride isn’t a jerk — he just plays one on TV

Media
A pair of rats, from Shutterstock

Why New Zealand is going all out to kill its rats, possums

Environment

Where is modern cloning, 20 years after Dolly?

Technology

Dolly was a milestone for cloning — but she didn’t survive long. Some of her clone sisters, however, have lived on.

A freshwater snail

Why snails are one of the world’s deadliest creatures

Health

Why certain species of snails are more dangerous than you might think. Why certain species of snails are more dangerous than you might think.

A Marbled emperor moth

The end of summer is coming. Have you been mothing yet?

Science

Moth week was in July, but if you missed it, it’s not too late to go mothing.Moth week was in July, but if you missed it, it’s not too late to go mothing.

A lab

Should the government mandate free access to taxpayer-funded research?

Science

Taxpayers fund billions of dollars in research every year — research that can wind up hidden away from the public’s eyes. Should that change?

The World

Watch this slow-motion video of attacking electric eels

Science

The modern-day experiment that’s proving the far-fetched Amazon stories of a 19th century naturalist.