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.

Animals

Snails wearing smallest computer solve extinction mystery

The world’s smallest computer was used to figure out why one species of snail survived a situation that pushed more than 50 others into extinction.

Kristin Houser

Bionics

Many amputees couldn’t afford a bionic arm — until now

Indian startup Makers Hive has developed a bionic arm that’s not only 90% cheaper than most, but also more functional.

Kristin Houser

Aerospace

New Chinese space station receives first astronauts

The new Chinese space station has received its first crew, a huge milestone for a project that began nearly 30 years ago.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

Beer hops could hold key to preventing common liver disease

Compounds derived from hops might be able to help prevent — or even treat — nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in people.

Kristin Houser

Agriculture

A robot could save farmers from being buried alive in grain

The Grain Weevil robot helps farmers manage stored grain, keeping them out of bins where they might lose their lives to grain entrapment.

Kristin Houser

Transportation

Major airlines preorder hundreds of flying taxis

Several major airlines have preordered Vertical Aerospace’s in-development flying taxis, suggesting the industry views eVTOLs as the future of urban mobility.

Kristin Houser

Clean Energy

New kind of nuclear reactor to be built at retiring coal plant

TerraPower, a nuclear power startup founded by Bill Gates, has announced plans to build a new kind of nuclear reactor at a retiring coal plant.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

Two opposite kinds of stroke. One promising treatment.

A new stroke treatment could give doctors a way to help victims sooner, improving their chances of avoiding permanent brain damage.

Kristin Houser

Biology

3D-printed liver tissue may be first step to lab-grown organs

A NASA challenge designed to accelerate tissue engineering has announced two winning teams, both of which used 3D bioprinting to create human liver tissue.

Kristin Houser

Neurodiversity

Flickering screens help kids with reading disabilities

Adding visual white noise to computer screens appears to help children with reading disabilities read and recall words written on them.

Kristin Houser