Kristin Houser
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.
MIT proposes Brazil-sized fleet of “space bubbles” to cool the Earth
An out-of-this-world idea could help reduce some of the risk of solar geoengineering.
U.S. plans to put nuclear-powered spacecraft in orbit by 2026
Experts believe they could cut the time it takes a rocket to reach Mars by up to 25%, shaving about two months off the trip.
Virginia launches world’s biggest 3D-printed housing project
One home was printed in 28 hours. Now, Alquist 3D is building 200 more.
MIT invents $4 solar desalination device
It could make enough drinking water for a family of four.
MIT’s new heat engine beats a steam turbine in efficiency
It has no moving parts and could allow us to tap into renewable energy year round.
Discovery of “impossible” superconductor promises 100x faster electronics
In a major advance, scientists have found a new and groundbreaking way to force electrons to flow only in one direction in a superconductor.
Chinese rover makes surprise discovery about liquid water on Mars
Data from the Zhurong rover suggests the Red Planet was wet more recently than we thought.
Drug to treat alcoholism could also safely reduce anxiety
Disulfiram is an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of chronic alcoholism. It might also serve as anti-anxiety medication.
SpinLaunch to fling a NASA payload toward space
Spin, spin, spin — fire! The startup’s radical system could make satellite launches cheaper and cleaner.
“GeoGrid” helps cut home energy bills to just $1 per month
A community in Austin, Texas is using geothermal energy to keep homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Earendel: Hubble smashes record for farthest star ever seen
The light from Earendel took 12.9 billion years to reach Hubble. The star is millions of times brighter than our Sun and 50 times as massive.
Radical new “Flying-V plane” aims to transform flight
A radical redesign of commercial aircraft, called the flying-V plane, could increase fuel efficiency by 20%, greatly reducing emissions.
Elon Musk’s Starlink in Ukraine helps destroy Russian tanks
Spotty connectivity isn’t going to jeopardize Ukraine’s drone attacks.
NASA opens vacuum-sealed moon rock container from 50 years ago
Knowing that technology would advance in the future, NASA put some moon rock samples into storage without opening them. Now, they have.
Drones and AI recover a meteorite for the first time
Aerial drone footage was sent to an AI trained to track down space rocks.
Stunning fairy wrasse isn’t the fish scientists thought it was
Local researchers identify a striking rainbow-colored fairy wrasse found off the coast of the Maldives as a fish species all its own.
Zuranolone: New antidepressant helps patients in just three days
Zuranolone might help people feel better sooner than if they were relying on standard treatment alone.
See 25,000 supermassive black holes in one map of the sky
Astronomers used supercomputers and an international network of antennas to create the stunning map.
Russia’s cyberattacks foreshadow the future of war
Russia's cyberattacks against Ukraine have been prolific and ongoing for several years. The future of war may begin in cyberspace.
Five-minute breathing exercise can lower blood pressure
A small study suggests that IMST is as effective as medications or 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.
Activity of dying brain shines light on near-death experiences
The first recorded brain activity of a person during their death suggests a biological trigger for near-death experiences.
New space plane would fly directly into orbit from a runway
Space planes could radically lower the cost of spaceflight.
See a futuristic flying car’s first untethered flight
This flying car — more properly called an "electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle" — will seat five and fly up to 135 mph.
Habitat for Humanity builds 3D-printed house in 28 hours
Made from concrete, it cost 15% less per square foot to construct than a typical house.
SpaceX’s Starship is ready for its first trip into space
The massive craft could carry 100 humans to Mars and revolutionize space exploration.
Isolation experiment: What’s it like to live in a cave for 40 days without a clock?
This article was originally published on our sister site, Freethink. Fifteen volunteers in France just spent more than a month living in a cave — without any way to tell time — […]
The most anticipated space missions of 2022
Space missions in 2022 will include massive rockets and asteroid collisions. This is also the year space tourism starts to hit its stride.
Einstein, Edison, and Dali’s “creative nap” trick seems to actually work
Historical geniuses used the "creative nap" to give their minds a boost. Apparently, the "hypnagogic state" can help with problem solving.
Water on Mars found hidden in massive canyon
Water on Mars is key for human survival on the Red Planet, not just for drinking but for growing food and making fuel and oxygen.
