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.

Coronavirus

How to safely celebrate Halloween during COVID-19

People celebrated Halloween during the 1918 flu pandemic and you can still celebrate Halloween during COVID-19 — just maybe not the way you usually do.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

Can flu vaccines prevent COVID-19?

Researchers suspect that flu shots could prevent coronavirus infections, giving people yet another reason to get vaccinated.

Kristin Houser

Aerospace

NASA confirms existence of water on the moon

A study confirmed the existence of water on the moon the same day another provided evidence that the lunar surface could be rife with water reserves.

Kristin Houser

Engineering

The "Iron Man" of beetles could inspire super-durable cars and planes

The diabolical ironclad beetle could be the next big thing in biomimicry, inspiring the design of extra-durable planes, cars, and more.

Kristin Houser

CRISPR

These gene-edited pigs could help end organ shortages

These gene-edited pigs have organs designed to be more compatible with the human body, bringing xenotransplantation one step closer to reality.

Kristin Houser

Fixing Justice

What does police reform look like in 2020?

Calls for police reform have resulted in budget cuts, new policies, and a record number of police oversight measures landing on the 2020 ballot.

Kristin Houser

Languages

Bringing lost languages back to life with AI

An algorithm that can identify the closest living relatives of lost languages could help linguists unlock the meaning of ancient texts.

Kristin Houser

Disaster Response

Firefighting robot helps battle blaze in Los Angeles

The U.S.’s first firefighting robot helped keep LAFD firefighters safe while they battled a blaze in downtown Los Angeles.

Kristin Houser

Fixing Justice

Robot lawyer helps people connect with incarcerated loved ones

DoNotPay’s robot lawyer can now help people write and send letters to inmates without worrying about violating a facility’s mail rules.

Kristin Houser

Asteroids

Why NASA just landed a spacecraft on the asteroid Bennu

NASA has collected samples from the asteroid Bennu that could yield insights into everything from the origin of life to avoiding an asteroid impact on Earth.

Kristin Houser