Kristen Hall-Geisler is a freelance writer and book editor living in Oregon. As an automotive journalist since 2006, she's honed her research and interviewing skills with HowStuffWorks, The New York Times, TechCrunch, Popular Science, US News & World Report and more. She loves falling down the rabbit hole of research and emerging with a book or article that others find useful and — she hopes — entertaining while still being based on solid sources. She is the author of the historical novel "Skull and Sidecar" as well as the nonfiction books "Take the Wheel: A Woman’s Guide to Buying a Car Her Own Damn Self" and "Lightning in a Throttle: Three Early Electric Vehicle Victories."
Recent Contributions
Goatees have been growing on faces for, well, a long time. So has their time come and gone, or are they more popular than ever?
Surfboards, huarache sandals and endless sunshine? Yes. But throw in some Conquistadors, a trashy Spanish novel, Black Amazons, mythological creatures and, of course, Charlemagne and — voilà — the name "California" is born.
Showering every day is likely something you take for granted. But for astronauts on the International Space Station, it's not an easy task.
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President-elect Joe Biden has pretty much made 'malarkey' a household word, so we thought we'd do some research into its origin story.
Anyone who's been to the ocean has probably seen the foamy white stuff that clings to the sand after a wave breaks and recedes, but what the heck causes that bubbly foam and is it dangerous?
The Founding Father was a prolific writer during his day. He wrote so much, in fact, he required a steady supply of quills.
At-thay epends-day on-way at-whay ou-yay ean-may y-bay eal-ray.
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The Latin language may be dead, but this phrase, which originated 2,000 years ago, is still used in legal and financial docs. So what does it mean?
Dozens of wildfires have scorched millions of acres in the western U.S. this year. One Oregonian tells what it's like living through the record season and if it's a preview of what's to come.
If you've ever expressed the charming idea that you have a buttload of something – a buttload of laundry to do, a buttload of tacos to eat – you may have wondered what the measure of a buttload actually is and where the phrase came from.
If you've ever dreamt of living out 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' now's your chance — golden ticket hunt, winning a candy factory and all.
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Ever found yourself in a pickle and wondered, "Hey, why the heck do we call it a pickle?" Let's see if we can swim through the brine and find out.
Sure, eating prunes can help you have regular bowel movements, but these sweet dried plums can also help you build — and maintain — strong bones.
New parents — especially new moms — are prone to an ailment known as mommy thumb. It's painful and real, but what is it and how is your baby causing it?
Thanks to COVID-19, big celebrations are canceled. So it's no surprise people aren't saying 'Happy Birthday' with a simple card, but with a huge yard sign instead.
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Purified water will 'instantly freeze' under certain conditions, and you can even make it happen at home. Is it magic? No. It's science!
You think stainless steel is a strong metal. So would it surprise you to learn it can't hold an edge when it comes to your hair?
The name Karen has somehow become the universal term for the angry, white woman. But when and how did that happen?
You probably remember the jingle from kindergarten...the shin bone's connected to the, wait, what bone is it?
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The two different types of alcohol are commonly used in hand sanitizer today. But does one work better than the other?