Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
Announcing the goofiest proposed bill in NH (although I could easily have missed some goofiness)
EDIT: The bill was killed. When I posted on reddit that two bills seeking to get NH to use gold and silver as currency were the dumbest proposed bills in the New Hampshire legislature this year, I was pointed to this chemtrail gem (HB1700): AN ACT prohibiting the...
It takes a lot of ice to open New Hampshire’s unique ice runway, but not because of the planes
As the region’s aviation community anxiously awaits the annual yes-or-no decision about whether the Alton Bay Ice Runway will open, here’s a tidbit to consider: Keeping Cessnas and Beechcraft from crashing through as they land isn’t why officials have to wait until...
NH patents through Dec. 31
(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...
A quantifiable moment from Granite Geek history
Note: The Monitor puts out an annual "Impact Statement" about the past year and I was asked to write something about the Granite Geek column. Here it is: Granite Geek has been a weekly newspaper column since early in the first Bush administration (not W but H.W.) and...
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....
Return to the Concord Monitor