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.

Coronavirus

What’s going to happen with COVID-19 this winter?

There may be an increase in cases of COVID-19 this winter as people move indoors, but there are actions we can take to prevent it.

Kristin Houser

Oceans

Mapping the ocean floor with an underwater "GPS"

MIT researchers have developed an underwater, sound-based navigation system that could make it possible to map the entire ocean floor.

Kristin Houser

Biology

Earwax gives doctors easy access to cortisol levels

The Trears device could make it easier for doctors to monitor cortisol levels by allowing patients to extract their own earwax samples for analysis.

Kristin Houser

Neuroscience

Blood test for Alzheimer’s now available at doctors’ offices

For the first time, a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease has received approval to be used in doctors’ offices in the U.S.

Kristin Houser

Robotics

Disney gives humanoid robot a “lifelike” gaze

To escape the uncanny valley, Disney created a humanoid robot that mimics the minor eye and head movements people make during interactions.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

Cough-analyzing AI detects asymptomatic COVID-19 infections

MIT has developed an AI that can detect asymptomatic COVID-19 infections from the sound of a person’s forced-cough with incredible accuracy.

Kristin Houser

Entertainment

Deepfakes shine in South Park creators’ new show

The creators of South Park have released a web show, Sassy Justice, that makes use of incredibly realistic deepfakes.

Kristin Houser

Clean Energy

Nuclear fusion machine turns on for the first time

A new spherical tokamak in the U.K. could overcome one of the biggest hurdles to nuclear fusion power: the “exhaust problem”

Kristin Houser

Urban Living

Green space at daycare gives city kids an immune boost

Adding a green space to an urban daycare’s playground can boost a child immune system after just 28 days.

Kristin Houser

If you train robots like dogs, they learn faster

The dog-inspired SPOT framework effectively trains an AI robot more quickly than other reinforcement learning methods.

Kristin Houser