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.

Robotics

Toyota’s cleaning robot shows off its new skills

Toyota’s cleaning robot has demonstrated new skills, revealing an ability to detect clear objects and snap perfect selfies.

Kristin Houser

Inventions

Hair-thin spine stimulator could relieve severe back pain

A new implant that delivers pain-relieving spinal cord stimulation can be put into place using just a needle — no invasive surgery required.

Kristin Houser

DIY

Kids build DIY microscope from LEGO & cheap phone parts

A DIY microscope made out of LEGO bricks and smartphone lenses could be a powerful learning tool, teaching kids the basics of microscopy.

Kristin Houser

Accessibility

Honda startup equips shoes with vibrating navigation system

A Honda-established startup is developing a vibrating navigation system that helps visually impaired people get around by vibrating their feet to relay directions.

Kristin Houser

Aerospace

Virgin Galactic gets greenlight to fly space tourists

Virgin Galactic is the first spaceline to get the Federal Aviation Administration's approval to fly space tourists — a huge milestone in space tourism.

Kristin Houser

CRISPR

Astronauts use CRISPR in space for first time

A first-of-its-kind experiment using CRISPR in space could help protect astronauts from DNA damage on long trips beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Kristin Houser

Astronomy

New evidence discovered of underground water on Mars

Either underground water on Mars is far more prevalent than previously thought or something we can explain is going on beneath the Red Planet’s surface.

Kristin Houser

Astronomy

Black holes caught eating neutron stars for first time

Using gravitational waves, astronomers have observed collisions between black holes and neutron stars for the first time.

Kristin Houser

CRISPR

CRISPR therapy cures first genetic disorder inside the body

For the first time, researchers appear to have effectively cured a genetic disorder by directly injecting a CRISPR therapy into patients’ bloodstreams.

Kristin Houser

Drones

New search and rescue drone listens for human screams

To help first responders find people during disasters, researchers are training a search and rescue drone to listen for human screams.

Kristin Houser