Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
Another record low power day on New England grid
Rooftop solar reduced New England's demand for electricity on Easter Sunday to the lowest on record. A combination of sunny skies, which boosted solar output, along with mild temperatures and the Sunday holiday, which reduced demand, meant that between 2 and 3 p.m. on...
NH lawmakers boldly lead us into the future by mandating that kids learn … wait, cursive?
New Hampshire Bulletin reports that our legislative body, realizing that we need an educated workforce to tackle the opportunities of the 21st century, are mandating that teachers take time out of the school day to ensure that kids have mastered communication...
State sits out regional ‘green hydrogen’ push
I have no idea whether the push for "green hydrogen" is a good idea or not - there are excellent-sounding arguments for both yea and nay. But it's worth looking into, which makes it sort of puzzling why New Hampshire is the only New England state not to be part of a...
NH patents through April 9
(Links to each patent can be found here, using the patent number.) By Targeted News Service WASHINGTON – The following federal patents were assigned in New Hampshire through April 9. *** Flat Flexible Conductive Fluid Crimp Connector PICA PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT LLC,...
‘Electrify everything’ is harder for industry
“Electrify everything” – the philosophy at the heart of recreating an economy that will flourish without destroying the ecosystem, is well on its way for transportation and home heating and appliances. Industrial machinery, however, is another matter. We’ve spent...
Concrete is bad, climate-wise. Granite is less bad.
The Swenson Granite quarry in Concord is expanding to the north, partly to meet demand from customers seeking to reduce their climate impact by using an alternative to curbing made of concrete. “Concrete has such a gigantic carbon footprint ... A lot of that concrete...
Vermont eyes per-mile fee instead of per-gallon for road fund as EVs get more popular
Vermont legislators are looking at ways to change from increasingly outmoded gasoline tax to a mileage tax for vehicles, so that road-repair funds won't run out as people switch to electric vehicles. (Valley News story is here.) Officials have described a possible...
Ballot-counting machines galore are getting tested in N.H.
Three different vote-counting machines were tested during last month’s local elections in New Hampshire and all handled the complicated town meeting ballots just fine, according to reports from election workers. More tests are set during May elections as the...
Are you talking on the phone to your grandchild or a scammer’s AI? Don’t be so sure
It is a sign of the times, I’m afraid, that normal people like you and me need to seriously think about creating a password system for talking to our loved ones on the phone. This sounds ridiculous, I know: “Hi, Dad! Before we go further, what’s...
Using our softwoods in engineered timber
Like many people, especially in tree-filled Northern New England, I'm a big fan of engineered lumber, aka mass timber, aka CLT, aka several other terms. They have huge climate advantages by replacing steel and concrete in buildings as tall as 20 or more stories and...
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