Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
Summer wildfire threat could be coming our way
It's been so wet in New Hampshire since May that it's easy to think we're protected from wildfire risk, but looking north shows that this is foolish. Eastern Canada is a place where raging wildfires didn't happen until suddenly they did, and there's no reason we...
NH patents through July 2
(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 2. *** Cost Effective Cartridge for a Plasma Arc Torch HYPERTHERM,...
The 16-year effort to bring high-speed internet to ‘the Brooklyn of Vermont’
valley News had a great story about the unveiling of ECFiber, a fiber-optic ISP around White River Junction, Vermont. ECFiber’s story has been through many chapters during its history: the initial 500 investors who kicked in $7.5 million in seed capital; nearly...
Hydroponic greenhouses are better than vertical farms, but not by a whole lot
Vertical indoor farms - growing leafy greens indoors in tall buildings - have many advantages (less water usage, less land occupied, growing close to consumers, faster plant growth) but have all failed financially because of the cost of powering lights to replace the...
Music degree meets a high-tech world: Ability to read music not required
There’s a new bachelor’s degree in music being offered at Plymouth State University, but it’s a music degree with a 21st century twist: You don’t have to know how to play an instrument or even read music. “We have a whole group of musicians that I refer to as...
A simple device tackles a very, very complicated problem
After spending an hour recently with Jeff Moore of Windswept Maples Farm in Loudon as he demonstrated an automated gate system for beef cattle, I came to a realization: Farming is an optimization problem. Optimization problems are common in computing and economics....
50 years from New England’s worst aviation disaster
From NH Aviation Museum: On July 31, 1973, a flight carrying 83 passengers and six crew members departed Manchester for Boston’s Logan airport, where it crashed into a seawall while attempting to land in dense fog. Of those on board, all but two died instantly. One...
N.H. patents through June 25
(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 June 25. *** System and Method for Distributed Utility Service Execution...
Why does New England like landlines? Blame (or thank) Verizon
The Washington Post has a section called Department of Data that takes a look at various questions through - well, data. Today they tackled the issue of landline phones, including the question of why landlines are more common in the Northeast. (I also pondered that...
Three dams on a small river face uncertain future
The Union-Leader has a good look at questions around three small dams on six miles of the Piscataquog River which may lose their license to exist due to questions about hydropower and fish passage. Fixing a dam is expensive! The full story is here.
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