Contributor

Kristin Houser

Staff Writer

Contact

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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.

Embodied AI industrial robot arm conducting a sorting task with various objects.

Does AI need a “body” to become truly intelligent? Meta researchers think so.

We’re finally starting to see what can happen when we put an advanced AI “brain” in a state-of-the-art robot “body” — and it’s remarkable.

Kristin Houser

two hands toasting with beer mugs. One hand and mug has been replaced by streaming digital binary code

AI “tastes” beer — then tells brewers how to make it better

An AI that can predict how to improve the taste of a beer could help brewers develop the next beloved brew.

Kristin Houser

The view from inside Varda's space factory as it reentered Earth's atmosphere.

Aerospace

T-Minus: Bezos’ space station advances, Boeing’s capsule crews up, and more

Freethink's weekly countdown of the biggest space news, featuring a new space station, NASA's next astronaut transporter, and more.

Kristin Houser

A bipedal robot walking through a ditch in a forested area, stirring up dust as it moves.

Robotics

Bipedal robot takes a beating, keeps on hiking

LimX Dynamics’s bipedal robot, P1, can keep its footing, even when traversing rough terrain unlike any it’s seen before.

Kristin Houser

Transportation

Boom’s supersonic jet flies for the first time

Boom Supersonic just flew its XB-1 supersonic jet for the first time, bringing it a step closer to revitalizing super-fast commercial travel.

Kristin Houser

Abstract digital art with pixelated patterns and organic textures in a black and yellow color scheme

Generative AI tech is dreaming up new antibodies

A new tool for designing antibodies relies on the same kind of tech underpinning DALL-E and other image-generating AIs.

Kristin Houser

a tick clinging to the tip of a blade of grass against a green background.

Medicine

Pill to prevent Lyme disease kills ticks before they can infect you

A pill to prevent Lyme disease quickly killed ticks that bit treated volunteers, suggesting it could slow the spread of tick-borne diseases.

Kristin Houser

Illustration of a space factory satellite orbiting earth, with scientific chemical formulas overlaid.

Aerospace

Drugs made in space “cooked real good,” says startup

Varda Space Industries has shared the results of its first mission to manufacture "space drugs" in Earth's orbit.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

Soaring insulin costs? Cows could help.

A genetically engineered cow that produce milk containing with human insulin could help cut the cost of the life-saving diabetes med.

Kristin Houser

Abstract collage of a kidney, a pig, and surgeons

CRISPR

First person to get a gene-edited pig kidney is “recovering well” so far

A gene-edited pig kidney has been successfully transplanted into a person for the first time, giving new hope to people with kidney failure.

Kristin Houser