Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
N.H. is a bitcoin hotbed; we’re a questions-about-bitcoin-legality hotbed, too
Complicated new things often have straightforward old things hidden inside. Case in point: Two unrelated prosecutions in New Hampshire of alleged misdeeds involving one of the most bewildering items in the digital universe, blockchain-based cryptocurrencies. Although...
UNH software helps collect seafloor data from remote-controlled sailboat
From UNH Today: A new remotely operated sailboat is soon heading for the high seas for proof-of-concept testing, and scientists are hopeful it will offer a boost in efficiency over current mapping efforts. This spring, the Saildrone Surveyor, a 72-foot vessel without...
Why four tree species are struggling in New England
Seven Days, an excellent independent newspaper in Vermont, had an excellent overview of how climate change and introduced pests are damaging four major tree species in New England - ash, chestnut, red spruce and sugar maple. The story is here.
Vermont might let Tesla et al open service centers as well as sales
Vermont legislators are considering a bill, known inevitably as the Tesla Bill, to let allow electric vehicle makers to open direct-to-consumer outlets for vehicle maintenance and sales in the state. would further bar car companies that don’t make electric cars from...
N.H. patents through April 25
By Targeted News Service The following patents were assigned in New Hampshire from April 18 to April 25. *** Parallel Wireless Assigned Patent for Base Station Grouping for Topology Hiding Parallel Wireless, Nashua, New Hampshire, has been assigned a patent (No....
UNH study: Earlier spring might reduce, not increase, forests ability to absorb carbon
Some cool research at UNH experimental farms and forests about ways that warming winters change NH ecosystems' effect on climate change. In sum, grassland took in more carbon because they started growing earlier but, counter-intuitively, forests took in less: The...
Hannaford says they no longer send any food waste to landfills
This story appears in today's Monitor. As a longtime fan of composting I was attracted by the accomplishment but what really hit me was the "de-packaging" machine. I'd love to visit it! One of the region’s biggest supermarket chains says it is no longer throwing any...
Tidal power is part of push to make islands energy-independent
A Maine town and an island are part of an interesting-looking federal Department of Energy program to help "remote and island" communities with the energy transition, mostly by figuring out renewable alternatives to shipping is tons of diesel for generators. Many of...
Study finds some white ash trees persist despite emerald ash borer
A study in Northern Michigan (where the emerald ash borer first appeared in North American) looked at tree health and EAB numbers is some woods that been hit by the invasive bug for a decade found some white trees healthy and persisting. Abstract from the U.S. Forest...
The ‘two out of three rule’ for staying safe as COVID eases
I don't usually link to articles with no obvious New England connection, but this NY Times story (paywall, maybe) gives a terrific rule of thumb for deciding how to stay safe as COVID-19 eases: In every situation, she makes sure she’s meeting two out of three...
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