Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
That weird carved plaque on Kearsarge has seen better days
In my long journalism career I have never had a chance to combine geometry, historical preservation, vandalism, hiking, map-making, state governance and giant poles atop nail kegs into a single article. Until today. The story’s news hook, as we journalists say,...
Manchester’s airport is too close to Logan for its own good (redux)
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport was the only airport in New England to see passenger traffic decline last year, despite the arrival of new airlines and routes. While the decline was small — less than 1 percent — the numbers are a disappointment to boosters of what...
‘World’s largest permanent Lego installation at minifigure scale’
That is how SEE Science Center in Manchester's Millyard describes its enormous (22 feet long) model of the millyard built with Lego bricks. I think "permanent" is the key word because I've seen larger city models at Legolands but that's nit-picking. If you're a Lego...
Rooftop solar cut New England’s power needs by 5% last year
From ISO-NE: Solar power installations that are not directly connected to the region’s grid reduced the amount of electricity consumed by New Englanders in 2024 by about 5%. Photovoltaic (PV) systems that are considered “behind all meters” last year reduced demand on...
Net-zero development in NH to open
A net-zero housing development in Hudson that I wrote about a year ago will have a ribbon cutting next week. This 13-lot, 26-unit condex (duplex condos) subdivision features all-electric homes designed to produce as much energy as they consume thanks to...
NH keeps growing slowly with a few hot (and cold) spots
See the interactive map at https://nhfpi.org/blog/lakes-and-mountains-lead-new-hampshires-population-growth-while-some-cities-shrink/ From NH Fiscal Policy Institute: New U.S. Census Bureau estimates indicate that while New Hampshire’s population grew by about 30,300...
Air conditioning is killed the planet (said the guy with whole-house heating)
You know those irritating people who like to announce that they don’t watch TV as if it’s a mark of cultural superiority? I’m afraid that I’m one of them, except my snobbery involves air conditioning. “Air conditioning?” I’ll ask with a wry smile, amused at the...
NH patents through July 20
(Links to each patent can be found here, using the patent number or inventor’s name.) By Targeted News Service WASHINGTON – The following federal patents were assigned in New Hampshire through July 20. Thermocompression Bonding With Passivated Gold Contacting MetalSET...
NH governor vetoes law to make it easier to skip vaccines
In a pleasant surprise, Gov. Ayotte has vetoed (that is, killed) House Bill 358, which would make it easier for parents to apply for religious exemptions to child vaccine requirements in school. New Hampshire used to have a very good rate of vaccination for kids...
As quantum mechanics turns 100, it is sneaking into everyday life
There is no science more removed from practical life than quantum mechanics. Or so I thought. In the 100 years since it was first developed — 2025 is the field’s centenary year, more or less — the physics of the very small has done away with almost everything we take...
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