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.

Clean Energy

These bendy wind turbines won’t crack in hurricanes

To significantly scale up offshore wind turbines, SUMR researchers are testing a design inspired by the flexibility of palm trees.

Kristin Houser

CRISPR

Gene-edited wheat less likely to produce “probable carcinogen” acrylamide

A new gene-edited wheat contains 90% less of a compound that can turn into acrylamide — a likely carcinogen — when the crop is cooked.

Kristin Houser

Disaster Response

Here is how to send a distress signal to space from anywhere on Earth

International search-and-rescue program Cospas-Sarsat uses satellites and emergency beacons to locate and help people in distress.

Kristin Houser

Hyundai’s autonomous ship is the first to make a transoceanic journey

Autonomous ships like the Prism Courage could make the seas safer, while also making shipping cleaner and more efficient.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

We may want to rethink how we deliver COVID-19 vaccines

An inhaled vaccine outperformed a nasal spray in an animal study, suggesting that the delivery method could deserve more attention.

Kristin Houser

3D Printing

Future tech could 3D print objects inside your body

Direct sound printing could one day allow doctors to build medical implants inside patients’ bodies instead of surgically placing them.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

New test tells you how many T cells for COVID-19 you have

A new blood test that measures a key indicator of COVID-19 immunity could help you assess your risk of a coronavirus infection.

Kristin Houser

Transportation

Pilotless German air taxi flies for first time

Volocopter’s four-seat air taxi — the VoloConnect — has completed its maiden flight and is on track for a 2026 commercial launch.

Kristin Houser

Inventions

Washable smart fabric turns movement into electricity

NTU Singapore researchers have developed a washable, stretchy smart fabric that turns movement into electricity.

Kristin Houser

3D Printing

Virginia launches world’s biggest 3D-printed housing project

Construction company Alquist 3D plans to build 200 3D-printed houses over the next 5 years through Project Virginia.

Kristin Houser