Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
N.H. patents through July 16
(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 16. *** Medical Treatment System and Methods Using a Plurality of...
‘Deepfake’ computer images can constitute harassment says NH Supreme Court, which was less certain years ago
New Hampshire Bulletin has a story (here it is) about a state Supreme Court ruling upholding a sweeping protective order by a female against a male who had used deepfakes as part of online attacks. The offender would post comments expressing fantasies that the victim...
As National Grid pitches its proposed power line, don’t mention the N-P word
When four representatives of National Grid came before Concord City Council on Monday to start the long process of expanding a power line through the state bringing electricity from HydroQuebec, they soon encountered a ghost. “Our community still...
Yes, rooftop solar saves everybody money; the grid operator shows how
The power grid in New England, and other parts of the country, has something called the "forward capacity auction." Power plants are paid in advance to guarantee production three years down the road and get the money no matter how much electricity they end up actually...
Dry keeps getting drier and, as we’re seeing, wet keeps getting wetter
For years climate change stories (including mine) have warned that precipitation extremes will increase as the planet heats up. Extra warmth allows the atmosphere to hold more water, producing deluges like we're seeing in Vermont and western New Hampshire, but it also...
N.H. patents through July 9
(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 9. *** Nanophotonic Hot-Electron Devices for Infrared Light Detection...
Wood-fired cooling! (Wait – cooling?)
To make financial sense when burning wood for a large housing development, I have recently learned, you need to do something that sounds kind of crazy: Use it to cool yourself. “That’s the key. … District heating with wood is not a new thing, it’s the use of heat...
Electrify that bucket truck!
If you can’t buy an electric version of your company’s vehicle, maybe you can take the vehicle and retrofit it to become electric. That’s the route Breezeline has taken in what they say is the first conversion of a bucket truck to electricity, both the motor and...
Everything you wanted to know about a Lyme vaccine
Inverse, a news site, has a long detailed piece about efforts to develop a Lyme vaccine for humans, including the tantalizing possibility of a short-lasting but quick-to-take-effect vaccine using monoclonal antibodies and the need for better tests. Even if you know a...
It’s been 10 years since our offshore wind was kneecapped
This column should have been written 10 years ago. In 2013, construction was about to start on Cape Wind, a 450-megawatt wind farm 7 miles south of Cape Cod. It was an exciting moment: European nations had been constructing wind farms in the North Sea for 22 years at...
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