Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
Biocontrol won’t save our ash trees but it’s still worth it
Last week’s news that the destruction of ash trees by an invasive beetle has driven a 168-year-old New Hampshire company to close was sad to hear, but since there are three different biocontrol species being released in the state, the problem will soon be fixed....
Looking for innovation in ways to use the forests
As the saying goes, build a better feller-buncher and the forestry world will beat a path to your door. But that’s assuming you can get financing, technical help and development space — exactly the issue that a four-month program is trying to tackle this summer. “The...
N.H. patents through May 22
By Targeted News Service WASHINGTON – The following federal patents were assigned in New Hampshire from May May 8 through May 22. *** Allegro MicroSystems Assigned Patent for Sensors having Dynamic Phase Compensation Allegro MicroSystems, Manchester, New Hampshire,...
Fear of jumping worms is affecting library plant sales
A snake-like earthworm has forced the a Vermont town to ban perennials from its Plant, Book & Bake Sale on June 4. And in another town, library trustees decided to cancel their plant sale altogether because of the Asian jumping worm. That's the start of this...
In Maine, fish make it upstream for the first time since 1783
A happy press release from the US Fish and Wildlife Service: The last time an alewife reached Kennebec County’s China Lake under its own steam – in 1783 -- Maine was part of Massachusetts and the Revolutionary War had just ended. That is until this spring, when...
Emerald ash borer chews through NH basket maker
The continent-wide destruction of ash trees caused by an invasive insect has taken an economic toll in New Hampshire: The Peterboro Basket Co. is shutting after making its specialty baskets for 168 years, partly because it can’t get enough of the right sort of wood....
Celebrating our ‘father of home video games’
This year would have seen the 100th birthday of Ralph Baer, as I've noted, and now that the weather's nice they're going to celebrate it in Manchester, where he lived for more than half his life. The event will take place Saturday (May 21) in Arms Park in Manchester,...
Granite Geek: ‘Unprecedented’ is our new weather ‘normal’
Of all the shocking weather emergencies we’ve seen in recent years, the one that really made the hair stand up on the back of my neck was last July’s wildfire that destroyed an entire town in British Columbia. That out-of-nowhere disaster hits home in New England...
As COVID hospitalizations keep rising, public updates get rarer
Two pieces of news last week reflected what I suspect will be the pandemic’s reality for the foreseeable future: It’s not going away but we’re paying less attention. The not-going-away part shows up in the daily data released by the New Hampshire Hospital Association....
Another tick carrying nasty diseases is just about here
The Valley News (story here) has an update on efforts to see whether the lone star Tick has made it to Vermont yet - as it will do any day now: Adult females have a distinctive white star on their backs. Nymphs and adult females are the most likely to bite humans,...
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