Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
Stirling engines to geographic terminology, it’s the GraniteGeek year in review!
I'm off for most of the next week. To celebrate the arbitrary measurement point for the planet's trip about the sun, and generate some easy content, let's remind ourselves of some of the wonderful things we've learned about via GraniteGeek this year. In no particular...
Latest sunrise, solstice, earliest sunset – it’s complicated
Several times in my career I have attempted to explain why the shortest day of the year (the winter solstice, which is tomorrow) has neither the latest sunrise nor the earliest sunset of the year. Judging from subsequent reader questions, I haven't had a ton of...
There are 652 solar installations in New Hampshire (claims software)
One of the issues with distributed energy, like solar panels, is that it's hard to count because it's - well, distributed. Even ISO-New England, the folks who run the six-state power grid and who have a great interest in knowing how many of these systems are affecting...
Desire for privacy removes urinals and shared showers from a new high school
Foster's Daily Democrat, the daily newspaper in Dover, has an interesting story (read it here) about something interesting in the brand-new Dover High School: It has no urinals in the boys' restrooms, and no shared showers - they're all individual, separated by...
Salmon may not be coming back, but herring sure are
Let’s face it: Salmon are never coming back to the Merrimack River. But don’t despair, you fans of fish with weird life cycles: Herring are doing so well that we might be seeing them in Concord again. Plus, shad aren’t doing too badly, either. And American eels, which...
Duck curve meets turkey-cooking curve
(Oops; I forgot to post this yesterday - the Portland Press-Herald's excellent energy reporter Tux Turkel did a story about it today) From ISO New England, the folks who run the six-state power grid: For the first time since at least 2000, and possibly ever,...
Mountain vs. clouds, New Hampshire edition
The National Weather station in Gray, Maine, which also covers most of New Hampshire, puts some interesting stuff on its Facebook page. This is from today (Dec. 14): Mount Washington isn't that tall by global standards, or even U.S. standards, but its relative...
Loons are big-boned, which is a problem when lakes freeze up
I've seen loons a few times while kayaking around New Hampshire, but I've never seen one take off. I have, however, seen ducks take off from the water - and it's a long, laborious process, whereas a robin can take leap right off the ground and start flying. I never...
Will municipal broadband ever arrive in New Hampshire?
Tiny Charlemont, Mass. (population 1,250 or so) has rejected an offer from Comcast to provide broadband in town and will instead pursue a $1.4 million town-owned broadband system, reports the local paper. Community-owned Internet has long been a goal for a subset of...
Quebec hydropower coming south – to New York, not New England
The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE). a 300-mile underground high-voltage line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec dams down to New York City, is finally moving ahead with construction likely to begin in 2020, reports the Canadian newspaper National Observer....
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