Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
Does work-from-home affect Santa’s (precisely calculated) workshop?
As I listen to hand-wringing about empty office towers due to people’s continued preference to work from home instead of commuting to a cubicle (those ungrateful swine!), a Christmas thought comes to mind: How is Santa’s workshop doing? I imagine that elves prefer a...
Town of Hanover has been buying its power for a decade
I didn't realize tht the town of Hanover has been ubying its own electric supply for a decade. The Valley News has a story about the practice, which ended when it joined the community-power coalition, which allows lots of towns to do the same thing. Kulbacki described...
Big Maine biochar plant gets $5m backing
A big Maine biochar plant has gotten a $5 million investment that puts it on the road to producing 160 tons (950 cubic yards) a month, reports Mainebiz (full article here). I wrote about the plant back in Feb. 2022. Biochar, a charcoal-like material, is produced by...
NH patents through Dec. 24
(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. 24. *** *** Trailer for Autonomous Delivery DEKA PRODUCTS LIMITED...
Deep dive into why Chestnut Foundation is no longer supporting the GMO tree
The Washington Post takes a deep dive into why the American Chestnut Foundation is no longer supporting the GMO trees (as I noted a couple weeks ago). They argue that trials show the trees aren't growing well enough to be distributed. You can read the story here.
All of New England is gaining population – but not very much
From Ken Johnson, UNH's demographics guru: All six New England states gained population between July of 2022 and July of 2023, according to new CensusBureau estimates. This contrasts with the four preceding years, when at least one state lost population in eachyear....
A humongous 3-D printer is making wood houses in Maine
In my career, I’ve encountered several non-traditional ways to build a home, from stacking hay bales to rolling out plastic tubes to using 3D-printed concrete. They’ve been fun to talk about but never made the slightest dent in the industry. The labor-intensive...
Local electric rates whipsawed by global fuel prices (whipsawed in a good way at the moment)
When it comes to our electric bills, sometimes global fuel trends giveth and sometimes they taketh away. Right now they’re giving. Eversource on Thursday said it has asked state regulators to cut its energy supply rate as part of the twice-yearly adjustment, a move...
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...
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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