Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
There’s more than one way for genetic adaptation to survive climate change
From UNH News Service: As climate change continues to trigger the rise in temperature, increase drier conditions and shift precipitation patterns, adapting to new conditions will be critical for the long-term survival of most species. Researchers at the University of...
Keene OKs “community power,” first in NH
(For a different unusual approach to providing electricity in N.H., see Don Kreis' latest column about the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, which just returned $4 million to its member customers: here.) The Keene City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to...
More people dying than being born here, two years running
From Ken Johnson, UNH professor and demographer extraordinaire: In 2020, 15,600 more people died than were born in New England. This is the first time that deaths have exceeded births in the region. A record 154,000 deaths occurred in New England, due partly to...
Seasonal camp dating back to 12,500 BC gets national recognition
New Hampshire doesn't have a whole lot of pre-Contact sites for archaeology and anthropology, but we have more of them than many of us realize - as I mentioned as far back as 2014. Most of them aren't publicized from fear that people will swipe stuff or just trample...
We can see farther from Mount Washington than we used to
If your vehicle bears a “This Car Climbed Mount Washington” sticker, there’s a 60% chance that you were a little disappointed in the trip. That’s how often the summit is covered by clouds. But if you were there during the other 40% of the time, you probably saw...
Hey, whisky makers: New England white oak is better for your barrels, so check the certificate!
Six months ago I noted that UNH was pursuing a unique certification mark for New England's white oak wood. Well, they got it! Here's the story from UNH News Service: The University of New Hampshire has been issued a registered certification mark from the U.S. Patent...
Plymouth State launches ‘cybersecurity’ bootcamp
Plymouth State University is launching a new cybersecurity certificate course in partnership with a private company, a first for the school that reflects how colleges are figuring out how they can adapt to a host of challenges and changes. “It’s important for any...
N.H. is scraping the bottom when it comes to public EV charging
As a general rule when there's a state-by-state ranking of useful services, you don't want to be alongside Mississippi or West Virginia. But they're the company that New Hampshire keeps in a recent ranking of public (i.e., not in people's homes) electric vehicle...
200-Year Old Poop Shows Rural Elites in New England Had Parasitic Infections
From Dartmouth News: In the early 19th century in North America, parasitic infections were quite common in urban areas due in part to population growth and urbanization. Prior research has found that poor sanitation, unsanitary privy (outhouse) conditions, and...
Another ‘germplasm conservation orchard’ for American chestnut in N.H.
From the Vermont/N.H. chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation: (For background, check my story from last July) On May 1, 2021, 24 volunteers and local school students worked with the Southeast Land Trust (SELT) and the VT/NH Chapter of the American Chestnut...
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Science Cafe NHAbout Granite Geek
Dave Brooks has written a science/tech column since 1991 – yes, that long – and has written this blog since 2006, keeping an eye on topics of geekish interest in and around New Hampshire, from software to sea level rise, population dynamics to printing (3-D, of course). He moderates monthly Science Cafe NH discussions, beer in hand, and discusses the geek world regularly on WKXL radio in Concord.
Brooks earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics but got lost on the way to the Ivory Tower and ended up in a newsroom. He has reported for newspapers from Tennessee to New England. Rummage through his bag of awards you’ll find oddities like three Best Blog prizes from the New Hampshire Press Association and a Writer of the Year award from the N.H. Farm and Forest Bureau, of all places. He joined the Concord Monitor in 2015.