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.

Aerospace

Nuclear fusion inspires new rocket thruster design

A new rocket thruster design that uses magnetic fields could lead to far faster space travel — the kind that could let us explore places beyond Mars.

Kristin Houser

Aerospace

Biofuel rocket launch is a first in aerospace

Startup bluShift has successfully launched a biofuel rocket, proving that biofuels could be the future of more sustainable spaceflight.

Kristin Houser

Art

Science and art collide over a giant field of leeks

Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde’s new GROW installation features multicolored LED lights dancing over a field of leek plants.

Kristin Houser

Fertility

New vaginal ring reduces risk of HIV and pregnancy

A vaginal ring that serves double duty as both long-term contraception and convenient HIV prevention showed promise in a small study.

Kristin Houser

Neuroscience

New brain implant can be charged wirelessly

A new brain implant contains wireless charging tech that could eliminate the need for surgeries to remove and replace drained batteries.

Kristin Houser

Astronomy

This cloudless “hot Jupiter” is unlike any known exoplanet

Astronomers have discovered a first-of-its-kind cloudless hot Jupiter — and it could expand our understanding of exoplanet formation.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

Johnson and Johnson's coronavirus vaccine is 66% effective

Data from phase 3 trials of Johnson and Johnson's coronavirus vaccine suggests the vaccine is ready to go to the FDA for approval.

Kristin Houser

Agriculture

Lab-grown wood is taking shape at MIT

A newly demonstrated technique for making lab-grown wood could overcome several shortcomings of traditional logging, if it's scalable.

Kristin Houser

First AR-assisted knee replacement in America is a success

The United States’ first AR-assisted knee replacement surgery was a success, marking another milestone for the use of AR in healthcare.

Kristin Houser

Robotics

Sophia the Robot will be mass-produced this year

Hanson Robotics is going to begin mass-producing Sophia the robot in 2021, making the social robot available to help combat the pandemic.

Kristin Houser