Contributor

Kristin Houser

Managing Editor

Contact

[email protected]

Kristin Houser is the Managing Editor of Freethink. Her articles on science and technology have been featured in NBC News, RealClearDefense, 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.

Kristin is currently based in Pittsburgh, and prior to joining Freethink, she was a staff writer for Futurism, launched an LA-based music blog, and wrote several animated and live action web series.

A satellite image of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico used for weather predictions.

AIs accurately predicted path of Hurricane Lee a week out

AI-based weather forecasting models developed by Google, Nvidia, and Huawei accurately predicted where Hurricane Lee would make landfall.

Kristin Houser

Asteroids

NASA has retrieved its first asteroid sample

NASA has just retrieved its first asteroid sample, bringing nearly 9 ounces of the asteroid Bennu to Earth.

Kristin Houser

A man lying down with a book opened over his face and earbuds in his ears

AI narrates 5,000 free audiobooks for Project Gutenberg

A new text-to-speech system developed by Microsoft and MIT was used to create nearly 5,000 audiobooks for Project Gutenberg.

Kristin Houser

A robot is learning to mix eggs in a bowl.

Robotics

Why Toyota is building a “kindergarten for robots”

Toyota is using a generative AI-based method to teach robots to peel veggies, prepare snacks, and perform other dexterous tasks.

Kristin Houser

a grid of colorful scans of the brain of a person with MS

Vaccines

New “inverse vaccines” could be key to curing autoimmune disorders

"Inverse vaccines" that teach the immune system to tolerate triggering molecules could be the key to curing autoimmune disorders.

Kristin Houser

A large container for renewable energy storage with a crane attached to it.

Batteries

California utility will try to store renewable energy in iron-flow batteries

A California utility company is testing whether iron-flow batteries could be the answer to the renewable energy storage problem.

Kristin Houser

A person in a protective suit is working on a machine related to Covid-19 vaccines.

Coronavirus

Here’s what’s new in the latest COVID-19 boosters

The FDA has approved new COVID-19 boosters from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. Here’s what you need to know about the shots.

Kristin Houser

Aerospace

T-Minus Weekly: Victus Nox, a record-breaking ISS mission, and more

Freethink's weekly countdown of the biggest developments in space, featuring the launch of Victus Nox, a record-breaking mission, and more.

Kristin Houser

A group of people in white coats pursuing a dual degree in medicine and AI standing in a line.

Education

UT med students can now get a dual degree in AI

The University of Texas at San Antonio has launched what it says is the US’s first dual degree in medicine and AI.

Kristin Houser

a stack of three blocks made from low-carbon cement on a blue background

Construction

New low-carbon cement is stronger than the regular stuff

A low-carbon cement developed by two MIT grads has officially exceeded industry standards for strength, durability, and more.

Kristin Houser