Granite Geek NH
@granitegeeknh.bsky.social
Daily newspaper reporter for 44 years & counting. Concord Monitor (New Hampshire, the Granite State). Sci/tech, business, energy, environment. Granite Geek blog & newsletter since 2006: granitegeek.org. [email protected]. he/him
Excellent analysis of the global population situation - past, present and likely future. It's sort of doomer-ish but in an informed way.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
David Runciman · Are we doomed? The End of the Species
Are we doomed to die out? We find ourselves at the only point in the history of the species when the rate of population...
www.lrb.co.uk
December 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Excellent analysis of the global population situation - past, present and likely future. It's sort of doomer-ish but in an informed way.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
"Irrespective of human population increase or decrease, biodiversity losses continue among most species studied mainly because of change in agricultural land use"
Drat. Another glass-half-full isn't really.
Drat. Another glass-half-full isn't really.
If you're interested in population and planet, then see our paper recently published in Nature Sustainability. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Biodiversity change under human depopulation in Japan - Nature Sustainability
Human population growth over the past few decades has had detrimental impacts on biodiversity; however, several countries, such as Japan, are experiencing below-replacement human fertility leading to ...
www.nature.com
December 7, 2025 at 3:05 PM
"Irrespective of human population increase or decrease, biodiversity losses continue among most species studied mainly because of change in agricultural land use"
Drat. Another glass-half-full isn't really.
Drat. Another glass-half-full isn't really.
Reposted by Granite Geek NH
7. In fact “the depopulation scenario was set in motion a long time ago. The problem of the opportunity costs of parenthood may simply be a function of modernity”. In some places, falling birth rates began in the 16th and 17th centuries. Pro-natalism and anti-natalism are equally pointless. 7/12
December 7, 2025 at 10:28 AM
7. In fact “the depopulation scenario was set in motion a long time ago. The problem of the opportunity costs of parenthood may simply be a function of modernity”. In some places, falling birth rates began in the 16th and 17th centuries. Pro-natalism and anti-natalism are equally pointless. 7/12
This is very, very clever. People would scream *so* loudly if this was done in the U.S.
December 6, 2025 at 3:03 AM
This is very, very clever. People would scream *so* loudly if this was done in the U.S.
How do you know when an industry is well-established and no longer a novelty? When thieves target it.
www.pressherald.com/2025/12/04/u...
www.pressherald.com/2025/12/04/u...
Unusual oyster farm heist leaves Portland couple reeling
The equipment and oysters that went missing from the waters off Falmouth last month are valued at roughly $20,000.
www.pressherald.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:21 PM
How do you know when an industry is well-established and no longer a novelty? When thieves target it.
www.pressherald.com/2025/12/04/u...
www.pressherald.com/2025/12/04/u...
Reposted by Granite Geek NH
Some mammals shrank by about 30 percent during rapid warming 56 million years ago.
A new look at early horses, primates, and artiodactyls shows it happened more than once.
The fossil record keeps surprising us.
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/sWwPdt3
A new look at early horses, primates, and artiodactyls shows it happened more than once.
The fossil record keeps surprising us.
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/sWwPdt3
Mammals Shrunk When the Planet Heated #fossil #evolution #climatehistory
Did you know that ancient global warming events caused some mammals to shrink? Studies of **fossils** reveal a consistent pattern where body size decreased during periods of rapid **climate change**.…
youtube.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Some mammals shrank by about 30 percent during rapid warming 56 million years ago.
A new look at early horses, primates, and artiodactyls shows it happened more than once.
The fossil record keeps surprising us.
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/sWwPdt3
A new look at early horses, primates, and artiodactyls shows it happened more than once.
The fossil record keeps surprising us.
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/sWwPdt3
This @cleantechnica.bsky.social columnist argues we don't have enough data yet to make conclusions about autonomous vehicle safety - not enough miles have been driven and not enough potential or real accidents.
cleantechnica.com/2025/12/04/w...
cleantechnica.com/2025/12/04/w...
December 5, 2025 at 1:11 PM
This @cleantechnica.bsky.social columnist argues we don't have enough data yet to make conclusions about autonomous vehicle safety - not enough miles have been driven and not enough potential or real accidents.
cleantechnica.com/2025/12/04/w...
cleantechnica.com/2025/12/04/w...
The toughest part of this job is listening to a long, earnest complaint from an acquaintance who wants you to write about it and then having to say "Sorry, it's not a story."
I blame it on shrinking newsrooms but that doesn't make them any happier.
I blame it on shrinking newsrooms but that doesn't make them any happier.
December 5, 2025 at 12:25 AM
The toughest part of this job is listening to a long, earnest complaint from an acquaintance who wants you to write about it and then having to say "Sorry, it's not a story."
I blame it on shrinking newsrooms but that doesn't make them any happier.
I blame it on shrinking newsrooms but that doesn't make them any happier.
Reposted by Granite Geek NH
For pretty much any critique you can level at any source of energy -- inefficient, too much pollution, takes too much land, has too many externalities, is propped up by subsidies, whatever -- it's worse for corn ethanol.
It's worse in all dimensions. It has zero redeeming features.
It's worse in all dimensions. It has zero redeeming features.
Corn’s clean-energy promise is clashing with its climate footprint
Corn dominates U.S. farmland and fuels the ethanol industry. But the fertilizer it relies on drives emissions and fouls drinking water.
floodlightnews.org
December 3, 2025 at 6:09 PM
For pretty much any critique you can level at any source of energy -- inefficient, too much pollution, takes too much land, has too many externalities, is propped up by subsidies, whatever -- it's worse for corn ethanol.
It's worse in all dimensions. It has zero redeeming features.
It's worse in all dimensions. It has zero redeeming features.
A great line in this intriguing podcast: You know a rock star is past their peak when they build a home studio.
www.ppfideas.com/episodes/the...
www.ppfideas.com/episodes/the...
The Rise and Fall of Homo Sapiens
240
www.ppfideas.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:37 PM
A great line in this intriguing podcast: You know a rock star is past their peak when they build a home studio.
www.ppfideas.com/episodes/the...
www.ppfideas.com/episodes/the...
Reposted by Granite Geek NH
In a world awash with negative science/health news this is unashamedly great news. connectsci.au/news/news-pa...
Seventh patient in HIV remission after stem cell transplant | News | ConnectSci
connectsci.au
December 3, 2025 at 7:21 AM
In a world awash with negative science/health news this is unashamedly great news. connectsci.au/news/news-pa...
"When looking at the EVs on the road from major Chinese brands, almost all of them are good vehicles. A lot of this has to do with the fundamental benefits of electrification."
@cleantechnica.bsky.social
cleantechnica.com/2025/12/02/w...
@cleantechnica.bsky.social
cleantechnica.com/2025/12/02/w...
When Electrification Is The Expectation, How Can Automakers Break Through? - CleanTechnica
When attending presentations from XPENG, one thing stood out for its absence: they really didn’t talk about their cars being EVs. No selling the audience on the benefits of electrification. They talke...
cleantechnica.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:56 AM
"When looking at the EVs on the road from major Chinese brands, almost all of them are good vehicles. A lot of this has to do with the fundamental benefits of electrification."
@cleantechnica.bsky.social
cleantechnica.com/2025/12/02/w...
@cleantechnica.bsky.social
cleantechnica.com/2025/12/02/w...
A snow/ice storm is coming: Do you put your windshield wipers up or down?
granitegeek.concordmonitor.com/2024/01/15/s...
granitegeek.concordmonitor.com/2024/01/15/s...
Granite Geek classic: "Windshield wipers up or down?" - Granite Geek
As long as I’m using this excellent snowstorm as an excuse to avoid thinking of new articles – I mean, to rerun popular classics – let’s dust this one off from 2015. Winter brings many vital issues t...
granitegeek.concordmonitor.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:23 PM
A snow/ice storm is coming: Do you put your windshield wipers up or down?
granitegeek.concordmonitor.com/2024/01/15/s...
granitegeek.concordmonitor.com/2024/01/15/s...
Reposted by Granite Geek NH
"The use of mushrooms and other organisms to help absorb and break down pollution is a relatively new area of study." From Molly Rains #NHPolitics
Mushrooms could help address Merrimack’s PFAS problem • New Hampshire Bulletin
Angela Graves has lived in Merrimack almost all her life. She grew up aware of the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics plant on the edge of town, and as a teenager learned alongside her community of…
newhampshirebulletin.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
"The use of mushrooms and other organisms to help absorb and break down pollution is a relatively new area of study." From Molly Rains #NHPolitics
"Models scour the internet for information, but the internet's going to get more and more full of information made by the models. So it's sort of like when we fed cows with cows - and got mad cow disease."
www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/...
www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/...
Rockstar co-founder compares AI to 'mad cow disease,' and says the execs pushing it aren't 'fully-rounded humans'
Dan Houser probably won't be asking ChatGPT for help with his next game.
www.pcgamer.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:05 PM
"Models scour the internet for information, but the internet's going to get more and more full of information made by the models. So it's sort of like when we fed cows with cows - and got mad cow disease."
www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/...
www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/...
"Daddy, why does Jesus have six fingers on our hymnal cover?"
www.axios.com/2025/11/12/c...
www.axios.com/2025/11/12/c...
Meet chatbot Jesus: How churches are using AI to save souls
Chatbots answer prayers and algorithms write sermons.
www.axios.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
"Daddy, why does Jesus have six fingers on our hymnal cover?"
www.axios.com/2025/11/12/c...
www.axios.com/2025/11/12/c...
The key phrase in this story: "real estate agents complained they hurt sales."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
Zillow Removes Climate Risk Scores From Home Listings
www.nytimes.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The key phrase in this story: "real estate agents complained they hurt sales."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
These are high-quality vehicles from American manufacturers available at a better price than a comparable car would cost here. But they are blocked from our market.
cleantechnica.com/2025/11/28/y...
cleantechnica.com/2025/11/28/y...
You Can’t Buy This America: EVs from US Brands at Auto Guangzhou - CleanTechnica
You Can’t Buy This America: EVs from US Brands at Auto GuangzhouToday is known as Black Friday in the US. The day after Thanksgiving and traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. A holiday o...
cleantechnica.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:56 PM
These are high-quality vehicles from American manufacturers available at a better price than a comparable car would cost here. But they are blocked from our market.
cleantechnica.com/2025/11/28/y...
cleantechnica.com/2025/11/28/y...
Reposted by Granite Geek NH
There was never really a point where horse usage reached anywhere near the saturation of car usage, so it's hard to compare. At the highest point there was about one horse for every five Americans. People just walked a lot!
Considering that horses are dangerous and riders are very regularly seriously injured, I wonder what the direct overall injury/death rate looked like when everyone in our society had to constantly ride/drive horses, versus the injury/death rate from cars today?
November 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
There was never really a point where horse usage reached anywhere near the saturation of car usage, so it's hard to compare. At the highest point there was about one horse for every five Americans. People just walked a lot!