Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
GPS inside our heads may be a key to treating Alzheimer’s
One of the skills that seems to have deteriorated with age, for me at least, is wayfinding. I used to have a quite good internal compass and could wander through strange cities without getting lost. These days, however, I get turned around pretty easily, and it takes...
Giant wind farm considered near Martha’s Vineyard. Nobody will complain about that
A giant Danish energy firm with a name to delight all 13-year-olds (DONG Energy) wants to build a huge wind farm - 100 turbines, as much as 1 gigawatt of output - 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. The U.S. is ridiculously behind in offshore wind, especially since...
In Vermont, “green burial” headstones can be nothing but GPS coordinates
A new law in Vermont is encouraging people to think about "green burials," which have no casket, embalming fluid or even cemetery, says the Burlington Free Press: A state law passed this year releases public cemeteries from constraints such as fencing and formal...
Coasting in neutral uses *more* gas than coasting in gear. Really?!?
I have a story in the Monitor today about a trio of auto-related LSRs, the larval phase of bills - that is, they will metamorphisize into possible bills when the Legislature returns to session, although the bills may emerge from committees to see the light of actual...
Push to resurrect “Amazing Stories”, the iconic science-fiction magazine, gets a TV boost
Efforts by NBC to resurrect Steven Spielberg’s Twilight Zone-inspired TV show seem poised to boost Steve Davidson’s effort to resurrect something entirely different: The original science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. In the process, he hopes writers can scoop up...
Efficiency and solar power means New England will see no growth – none – in need for electricity
A startling statement from ISO-New England, the folks who oversee the six-state New England electricpower grid: With growing levels of photovoltaic (PV) and energy-efficiency (EE) resources, the 10-year forecast of demand shows the summer peak growing at 0.6% per year...
State’s biggest solar farm (although it’s not all that big, really) goes online Friday
PETERBOROUGH – The state’s biggest solar-power facility gets turned on Friday at the Peterborough Wastewater Treatment plant. The facility falls just short of a megawatt, at 942 kilowatts, and is located on five acres of former wastewood lagoons. It has about 3,100...
Granite Geek on the radio: We’re out of the solar system – really!
On NHPR this week I talked about the UNH research that explained anomalous readings from Voyager 1 and showed that it is, indeed, passing through the edge of the solar system (for certain definitions of "edge"). Listen or read the transcript right here.
Canadian firm uses bumblebees to apply pesticides
In response to an article I wrote about a New Hampshire pollinator conference on Monday, I was notified by a reader about an interesting Canadian company that has developed a system which it claims will let wild bees deliver precise amounts of pesticide or other...
Survey: 20% of pediatricians won’t treat unvaccinated babies
A story on the Boston Globe, part of its specialty Stat publication, tells of a pushback by some doctors against the anti-vaccination movement: More than 20 percent of pediatricians “always” or “often” turn away families who decline to get their babies vaccinated,...
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