Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
We need good news, so: Canada/US/Mexico cooperation is saving the Monarch butterfly
Goodness knows we need some upbeat news these days, so how about this, from Quartz: In 2014, scientists and activists alike panicked after Monarch population numbers reached record lows the year prior. Since then, North American leaders have been cooperating to save...
For reasons that aren’t clear, the nasal spray flu vaccine was a real dud
New Hampshire kids will have to get a shot in the arm this year to vaccinate against the flu - the state isn't buying the nasal-spray version after the CDC said that in the past two years it basically hasn't provided any protection. The nasal spay (FluMist is the...
Vermont’s GMO-labeling law goes into effect Friday (I, personally, am GMO-free, depending on how you define it)
Vermont's unique GMO-labeling law goes into effect Friday, and a lot of retailers are puzzled, reports the Burlington Free-Press. But maybe they'll get healthier: Coke may be pulling some products from Green Mountain State shelves while it figures things out. (New...
How dry is it? A brush fire is still smoldering, 10 days later
Yesterday morning I was walking around the blackened 14-acre site of a brush fire in Henniker, which is still smoldering more than 10 days after it was discovered, for a story about how dry it is ... when it began to absolutely four. We were drenched in a 20-minute...
Is it better to teach pure math or applied math? Now *that’s* a hard question
US News - which, to be honest, I didn't realize was still around - has an excellent article about the argument about whether to emphasize pure or applied mathematics when teaching it. In the OECD study, researchers looked carefully at survey questions on how often...
“Rock snot” algae bloom is doubly weird: It’s native not invasive, and is triggered by too *little* nutrients
A few years ago, people started encountering disgusting blooms of an invasive algae known as didymo - blooms so disgusting they were termed "rock snot," making the topic irresistible to reporters. It turns out that the algae is actually native to the Northeast, not an...
“There’s an app for that” – special Science Cafe in Nashua, June 29
Science Cafe New Hampshire in Nashua is sponsoring a special evening on "the emerging smartphone app industry" in Nashua, along with NashuaHUB, a new incubator in the Gate City. Very cool.
N.H. passes Uber-approved law for online ride hailing
New Hampshire has passed a law regulating online raid-hailing firms like Uber, but it's not too tough: Uber is fine with it. "Most of the provisions in the so-called Uber bill mirror existing practices of Uber, which supported the legislation. The law bars the...
Software helps spot violent terrorism-recruiting videos online, says Dartmouth professor
I've written about Dartmouth professor Hany Farid a few times over the past decade and a bit because of his interesting work using software to detect manipulation of digital photos, including a company called Fourandsix ("forensics" - get it?) that does photo...
Recent patents filed in New Hampshire
By Targeted News Service: Recent patents filed by individuals or companies in New Hampshire include: GTAT of Merrimack has been assigned a patent (9,369,553) developed by two co-inventors for a “mobile electronic device comprising an ultrathin sapphire cover plate.”...
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