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Taking Measure Blog Posts

Alternative energy

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photo of a house. Solar panels on the roof.

That House on the Hill: Bringing Measurement Science Home

February 15, 2019
Bill Healy
When people ask NIST employees what they do, we often rely on the somewhat nebulous term “measurement science.” To many in the technical community, NIST’s role in measurement science is clear because they are often surrounded by instruments that bear some sort of NIST-traceable calibration
Two deer silhouetted against the dawn in front of one of NIST Gaithersburg's small lakes

Earth Day 2018: NIST’s Commitment to Sustainability

April 20, 2018
Robert “Skip” Vaughn
As Earth Day 2018 approaches, I think about what my role as the NIST Chief Sustainability Officer entails, but also what we have accomplished as an organization toward promoting sustainability and what more we can do. This year’s theme for Earth Day is “End Plastic Pollution.” As part of our normal
Photo of purplish black sky with a streak of bright lightning

In Pursuit of Plasma Power: Hot Stuff, Snowstorms, and Starry Skies

September 15, 2016
Yuri Ralchenko
Do we really need hot stuff? I’m not talking about Donna Summer’s disco hit of 1979 or global warming. I’m not talking about anything so lukewarm as the surface of our sun—a mere 6,000 kelvins. I don’t even mean something as hot as 1,000,000 kelvins. No, the kind of hot stuff I’m talking about is
solar panels reflecting the clouds and blue sky

Directing My Energy Toward a Sustainable Future

April 22, 2016
Ted Heilweil
Have you ever wondered what might happen if we run out of fossil fuels? How do you think we will be able to survive without the resources we need to heat and cool our homes and buildings or the raw materials we use to create all the plastics that make up our modern world? Indeed, if we continue to