Contributor

Kristin Houser

Staff Writer

Contact

[email protected]

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.

Neuroscience

FDA authorizes mind-controlled exoskeleton for stroke rehab

Neurolutions’ IpsiHand — a brain-computer interface that uses an exoskeleton to assist with stroke rehab — has been authorized by the FDA.

Kristin Houser

Outer Space

More than 5,000 tons of space dust hit Earth every year

We now know about how much space dust — micrometeorites that may have seeded Earth with the ingredients for life — hits the planet every year.

Kristin Houser

Volunteers

Volunteers in isolation experiment leave cave after 40 days

Volunteers spent more than a month living in a cave without any way to tell time as part of an isolation experiment called “Deep Time.”

Kristin Houser

AI helps people in war zones get their voices heard by leaders

The United Nations is using an AI tool to survey people living in war zones, giving them a voice during peacekeeping operations.

Kristin Houser

Back-poking robot triggers presence hallucinations

A back-poking robot can trigger presence hallucinations in people with Parkinson’s disease, giving researchers a way to finally study the phenomenon.

Kristin Houser

Is NASA ready for an asteroid impact?

NASA is staging a week-long asteroid impact simulation during which participants will need to respond to a hypothetical impact scenario.

Kristin Houser

Chinese Space Station is ready for launch — in pieces

Construction is finally beginning on the Chinese Space Station, with its core module — Tianhe — expected to lift off in April 2021.

Kristin Houser

Oxford malaria vaccine is 77% effective in young children

A malaria vaccine developed by Oxford University was 77% effective at protecting children during a phase 2 trial in Africa.

Kristin Houser

We can now hear an AI robot’s thought process

This robot’s thought process isn’t a secret — researchers gave the AI the ability to share its internal monologue with humans.

Kristin Houser

Drone light show creates scannable QR code in the sky

A drone light show staged in celebration of the “Princess Connect! Re:Dive” video game ended with the drones forming a scannable QR code in the sky.

Kristin Houser