Contributor

Kristin Houser

Staff Writer

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Kristin Houser is a staff writer at Freethink, where she covers science and tech. Her written work has appeared in Business Insider, NBC News, and the World Economic Forum’s Agenda, among other publications, and Stephen Colbert once talked about a piece on The Late Show, to her delight.

Prior to joining Freethink, Kristin was a staff writer for Futurism and wrote several animated and live action web series.

Coronavirus

Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine works in kids

New trial results suggest Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine works in kids between the ages of 5 and 11, safely triggering a robust antibody response.

Kristin Houser

Genetics

Can the woolly mammoth save Siberia from climate change?

Harvard geneticist George Church’s new de-extinction startup aims to resurrect the woolly mammoth to help combat permafrost thaw.

Kristin Houser

Astronomy

Mystery of Chinese supernova solved after 800 years

A new study explains where the mysterious “Chinese supernova” went after disappearing from the night sky more than 800 years ago.

Kristin Houser

Addiction

Trial of opioid vaccine launches in US

An opioid vaccine that prevents people with opioid use disorder from feeling “high” when they take oxycodone is moving to human trials.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

mRNA cancer treatment shrinks tumors in mice

An mRNA cancer treatment in human trials has proven incredibly effective in mice, shrinking tumors in 85% of the rodents tested.

Kristin Houser

Agriculture

Scientists toilet-train cows to reduce air pollution

To combat the negative environmental impact of cow urine, researchers have proven it's possible to potty-train calves.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

Moderna’s new vaccine targets COVID-19, the flu, and RSV

Moderna is developing a combination vaccine to protect against COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus.

Kristin Houser

Aerospace

Mars colonies could be built from astronauts’ blood and urine

To minimize the cost of building Mars colonies, astronauts could make concrete using space dust and their own bodily fluids.

Kristin Houser

Engineering

UK building road with “wonder material” graphene

The United Kingdom is launching a world’s first trial to test whether adding graphene to recycled asphalt can increase a highway’s lifespan.

Kristin Houser

Criminal Justice

Ex-felon helps former prisoners launch careers in tech

The Underdog Devs nonprofit helps former prisoners make the connections they need to secure jobs in the technology industry

Kristin Houser