Contributor

Kristin Houser

Staff Writer

Contact

kristin.houser@freethink.com

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.

Medicine

New chemo pump for brain tumors could avoid side effects

A fully implantable chemo pump could help extend the lives of people with deadly brain tumors while minimizing treatment side effects.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

$3.5 million treatment for hemophilia wins FDA approval

The FDA has approved biotech company CSL Behring's Hemgenix, a hemophilia B treatment that costs $3.5 million per dose.

Kristin Houser

AI is helping to ID victims in Holocaust photos

The new website From Numbers to Names uses facial recognition tech to identify previously anonymous faces in Holocaust photos.

Kristin Houser

Clean Energy

This meteorite material could power our clean energy future

A lab-made version of tetrataenite, a mineral found in meteorites, could replace rare earth elements in the production of permanent magnets.

Kristin Houser

Neuroscience

Electrically stimulating the brain helps stop binge eating

Two people with binge eating disorder reported that deep brain stimulation helped them control their eating and lose weight in a small study.

Kristin Houser

CRISPR

New CRISPR cancer treatment tested in humans for first time

A new personalized CRISPR cancer treatment modifies the immune system's T cells to help them recognize a specific patient's tumor cells.

Kristin Houser

Drugs

New fentanyl vaccine could help avoid relapses and overdoses

An in-development fentanyl vaccine that prevents the drug from entering the brain could one day help people avoid relapsing or overdosing.

Kristin Houser

Aerospace

NASA’s Orion spacecraft sends back first images

NASA has shared the first images from its Orion spacecraft, which is expected to do a lunar flyby on November 21.

Kristin Houser

Food

Lab-grown meat clears major FDA hurdle

Startup UPSIDE Foods’ lab-grown chicken has passed a key FDA checkpoint, putting cultured meat one step closer to sale in the US.

Kristin Houser

Engineering

UK test-fires its first high-energy laser weapon

The UK has successfully test-fired the $115 million DragonFire, its first high-powered, long-range laser weapon.

Kristin Houser