Contributor

Kristin Houser

Managing Editor

Contact

[email protected]

Kristin Houser is the Managing Editor of Freethink. Her articles on science and technology have been featured in NBC News, RealClearDefense, 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.

Kristin is currently based in Pittsburgh, and prior to joining Freethink, she was a staff writer for Futurism, launched an LA-based music blog, and wrote several animated and live action web series.

Therapeutic bed could help prevent brain damage in babies

Calmer is a therapeutic bed for incubators that simulates a caregiver’s breathing and heartbeat to relieve stress in newborns.

Kristin Houser

An IBM quantum computer is being built at a US hospital

An IBM quantum computer is being installed at the Cleveland Clinic as part of the organizations' Discovery Accelerator collaboration.

Kristin Houser

Boston Dynamics unveils a new robot: Stretch

Boston Dynamics’ second commercial offering is a warehouse robot named Stretch that can lift and move 800, 50-pound boxes every hour.

Kristin Houser

This insect swiped a gene from plants to help itself survive

A plant gene has been discovered in whiteflies, marking the first known example of horizontal gene transfer of a functional gene between plants and insects.

Kristin Houser

AI uses sound waves to read the minds of monkeys

Functional ultrasound tech can be used to map the brain activity of monkeys, suggesting it might be useful for future brain-machine interfaces.

Kristin Houser

“Zombie” cells grow in the brain after death

After death, gene expression increases in the brain’s glial cells — and those “zombie” cells could affect how we study neurological disorders.

Kristin Houser

IBM’s AI debater could help you make better decisions

IBM’s Project Debater is trained to quickly craft well-researched arguments — and the AI debater could one day improve your decision making.

Kristin Houser

David Attenborough’s AR app puts dinos in your living room

The film David Attenborough’s Natural History Museum Alive now has a companion AR app that brings three extinct creatures to life in your home.

Kristin Houser

Stunning “agar art” grows pictures with bacteria and fungi

Agar art lets scientists tap into their creative sides by growing microbes into beautiful bioart scenes in petri dishes.

Kristin Houser

It's now possible to diagnose concussions with saliva

Saliva was used to diagnose concussions with 94% accuracy, suggesting that an objective concussion test may finally be within reach.

Kristin Houser