Contributor

Kristin Houser

Staff Writer

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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.

Coronavirus

Nasal COVID-19 vaccine outperforms mRNA shots in new study

A live attenuated vaccine for COVID-19 that delivered via a nasal spray outperformed several shots in a preclinical study.

Kristin Houser

an illustration of astronauts floating with paper money

Aerospace

Space could be a trillion dollar industry by 2040

Now that falling launch costs are making space more accessible, hundreds of groups are looking for ways to make money off-world.

Kristin Houser

a tall rocket covered in Chinese writing on a launchpad

Aerospace

Chinese space startup makes history with first rocket launch

Chinese rocket startup Space Pioneer successfully reached orbit on its first try, something no private company has done before.

Kristin Houser

the Ingenuity helicopter on the surface of Mars

Aerospace

NASA’s Mars helicopter breaks two records in a single day

On its 49th flight, NASA’s Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, soared higher and faster than ever before, setting two records in one day.

Kristin Houser

a diagram of the nanoparticle containing mrna

Medicine

New mRNA therapy could bring an end to peanut allergies

A new peanut allergy treatment based on mRNA could potentially lead to therapies that prevent all types of allergies in people.

Kristin Houser

an image of the back of a man's head. he is wearing a headset device. a robot dog is in the background.

Brain

Graphene sensor could let you control robots with your mind

The “wonder material” graphene has been used to develop a dry sensor that could enable anyone to control technology with their minds.

Kristin Houser

ChatGPT can now help you plan a perfect vacation

Online travel agency Expedia has added ChatGPT to its app, giving users a free AI assistant to help them plan a vacation.

Kristin Houser

Aging

Study: If there is a maximum human lifespan, we’ve yet to reach it

The current record for longest life is likely to be broken in the coming decades, according to a new study on the maximum human lifespan.

Kristin Houser

a hand holding a thumbnail-sized package that looks like a tea bag

Biology

Sugar-powered implant produces insulin as needed

A sugar-powered implant that produces insulin when blood glucose levels are high could make managing diabetes easier and less painful.

Kristin Houser

a scientist looking at material in a small jar

Clean Energy

New lithium recycling method is cleaner and cheaper

A cheaper, cleaner lithium recycling method could help ensure we have enough of the valuable metal to power the clean energy future.

Kristin Houser