Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire 

Mountain forecasts and avalanche prediction

Mountain forecasts and avalanche prediction

From the Mount Washington Observatory: The White Mountains are renowned for adventure and extreme weather. Specialized weather information like the Higher Summits Forecast helps search and rescue teams, avalanche experts, and the outdoor community at-large anticipate...

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NH patents through Dec. 10

(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 Dec. 10. *** Bearing and Bearing Liner NEW HAMPSHIRE BALL BEARING, INC.,...

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In Vermont, dogs help hunters find wounded game

Cool story in the Valley News about a volunteer group that uses tracking dogs to find game that was wounded by hunters but got away: "Since 1996, when the practice was legalized, hunters who shoot but lose track of big game — deer, bear, moose, wild turkey — can ring...

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The man who brought back our wild turkeys has died

IndepthNH, an independent online news organization, lists notable New Hampshire deaths each week. This is one of them listed today: Theodore “Ted” W. Walski, 79, of Langdon, died Dec. 2, 2023.  A U.S. Army veteran, he was well-known for his efforts as a state wildlife...

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Solar installs are growing in NH

Solar installs are growing in NH

A solar company called Ohm Analytics does a lot of number crunching. Above is their analysis of New Hampshire solar permits. We're coming off a slow start but finally speeding up. This is part of a national trend, as Canary Media reports. Here's their national chart:...

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92% of NH (including my family) speaks only English

New Hampshire is pretty homogeneous but it's not completely a bunch of English-speaking white folks. The New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equity summarized our bilingual status: Roughly 8% of the state’s population (roughly 103,500 people) speak a language other...

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UNH researchers find big clue about new dog illness

A lot of work is going into understanding that new respiratory illness in dogs. UNH News services reports a partial breakthrough at that school: The UNH researchers identified a small portion of the genome of a previously uncharacterized bacteria that may be causing...

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Maine’s embrace of heat pumps continues

One of the pleasant surprises for creating a low-carbon economy has been the way Maine households have embraced electric heat pumps, switching away from the nasty No. 2 fuel oil that is so common in Maine (and New Hampshire). Annie Ropeik (a name many will remember...

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About Granite Geek

Dave Brooks has written a weekly science/tech newspaper column since 1991 – yes, that long – and has written this blog since 2006, keeping an eye on geekish topics in and around the Granite State. He discusses the geek world regularly on WGIR-AM radio, and moderated the monthly Science Cafe NH sessions when they were still a thing. He joined the Concord Monitor in 2015.

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, Writer of the Year award from the N.H. Farm and Forest Bureau (of all places) and his 2024 induction into the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame.

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