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A researcher wearing a lab coat uses tongs to place a silvery sphere into a large scientific device as another researcher looks on.

Talk NISTy to Me: When Everyday Words Take On Different Meanings in Measurement Science

October 28, 2024

Ben P. Stein

Words that have common meanings have different definitions in the world of measurement science.

Header shows a drawing of Wilhelm Weber, an electricity transmission tower, and a magnet, and reads: What's in a Name? The Stories Behind the Names of Units of Measurement.

What’s in a Name? The Magnetic Weber

October 1, 2024

Sandy Ressler

Dr. Wilhelm Weber gets the distinction of having the unit of magnetic flux, the weber, named in his honor. Magnetic flux measures the total magnetic field that passes through a surface.

NIST Chief Metrologist Jim Olthoff stands in front of equipment in a lab.

Keepers of the Right Answer: Why Measurements at NIST Are Important for the Nation and the World

September 5, 2024

James K. Olthoff

Practically everything you use in your everyday life works because of measurement science.

NIST researchers Elizabeth Strychalski and David Ross program the robotic arm that operates within the box-like structure of the NIST biofoundry.

The Promise of Synthetic Cells: Revolutionary New Drugs, Outer Space Explorers and Pushing Beyond the Limits of Evolution

July 8, 2024

Scientists are getting closer to creating a living cell from scratch. It could help treat diseases or even create life forms that can be better adapted to space.

One of the World’s Roundest Objects Is Helping to Build a Better Mass Measurement

July 3, 2024

Megan King

Different countries' approaches can lead to different definitions of the kilogram. But NIST is working with our international partners to see how we can close those tiny gaps.

A spherical, spiky virus is approached on all sides by Y-shaped antibodies.

You Don’t Learn This in School: My Experience as a NIST Summer Intern

June 4, 2024

George Sellers

The most important thing I remember from being a NIST intern last summer is the power of persistence in research.

Stephen Eckel wears dark safety glasses as he peers into the complex CAVS apparatus in a darkened lab.

How Low Can Temperature Go? Lord Kelvin and the Science of Absolute Zero

May 7, 2024

Stephen Eckel

On Lord Kelvin’s 200th birthday today, we’re remembering the scientist who brought us the metric (SI) unit for temperature.

George Caceres wears safety glasses and a lab coat as he looks at a plastic test tube he is holding.

Measuring Microplastics: To Solve the Problem, We Have to Understand and Measure It

March 18, 2024

George Caceres

My friends sometimes jokingly ask me, “How many microplastics do you think I consumed this week?” Unfortunately, the answer is not zero.

Ryan Falkenstein-Smith and Amy Mensch, both wearing lab coats and gloves, stand in the lab next to a black camera-like device on a table.

The Sound of Soot: How a Strange Noise Can Keep Us Safer From Fires

February 26, 2024

Amy Mensch, Ryan Falkenstein-Smith

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Where there’s fire, there is soot. And where there is soot, there is … noise.

Kathryn Miller sits reading a book at a small table in the NIST library.

From Bookmobiles to Big Data, How Library Scientists Make Information Accessible to All

February 21, 2024

Kathryn Miller

During Women’s History Month, a NIST librarian looks back at the librarian who brought us the bookmobile — back when it brought books by horse and buggy.

Measurement in the Movies

February 20, 2024

Ben P. Stein

The nominees are in … for the best use of measurement in a movie.

Fisheye view of grocery store shelves packed with coffee products.

Weighing Your Purchases: How New Laws May Help You Become a Savvier Online Shopper

February 6, 2024

John McGuire

When you buy something by weight or volume, you want to get what you pay for. And we’re helping to make sure that happens — whether you shop online or in a store.

Melinda Kleczynski poses sitting at her desk, with a monitor showing data and graphs behind her.

From Diamonds in Your Computer to Safer Medications, NIST Researchers Look at What’s Next for 2024 and Beyond

December 18, 2023

Our up-and-coming researchers look ahead to 2024 and beyond — and tell us how their work will impact the world.

A Scientific Christmas Tale

December 5, 2023

Robin Materese

’Twas the night before Christmas; NIST staff had gone home. Our director was left to reflect all alone. She thought about NIST and the breadth of its work, from AI to fire to even the quark.

An antique clock showing a few minutes before 12 is topped with a party hat, and colorful streamers hang in the background.

Auld Lang ‘Time’: One of the Country’s Timekeepers Makes Sure We Ring in The New Year at Just the Right Second

November 27, 2023

Andrew Novick

As you prepare to watch the ball drop or pop champagne on New Year’s Eve, we’ll be keeping an eye on the clock — just as we always do.

Jerilyn Izac sits at a lab bench with her hands inside a plastic shield, using a device to draw liquid from a plastic container into a tube.

How Measurement Science Can Help Protect Us From Viruses

October 25, 2023

Jerilyn Izac

Imagine if for the next dangerous virus, we could quickly and easily test everyone’s levels of defenses — known as antibodies.

A researcher wearing safety glasses reaches into a box of circuitry and other equipment, which emits a green glow.

Think You Know What a Second Is? It Will Likely Change in the Next Decade.

October 16, 2023

Tara Fortier

As the world has modernized and our pace of life has increased, our relationship to time has changed.

Diana Ortiz-Montalvo, wearing safety glasses and holding a small circular filter with tweezers, poses with Abigail Lindstrom in the lab.

Microplastics Mystery: Sampling Airborne Microplastics at a Recycling Facility

October 4, 2023

Diana Ortiz-Montalvo

During National Hispanic Heritage Month, a NIST researcher shares how her upbringing in Puerto Rico inspired her to study air quality.

A large white balloon with a small box attached to it waits inside a cinderblock building with a rolltop door.

Up, Up and Away: How NIST Research Helped Improve Weather Balloon Forecasting

August 23, 2023

A key component of the weather balloon — which helps meteorologists forecast the weather every day — was developed at NIST in the 1930s.

Drawing of Nikola Tesla with his chin propped on his hand.

What’s in a Name? The Tesla

June 27, 2023

Sandy Ressler

Do you enjoy flipping on the light switch? Well, you can thank Nikola Tesla — born 167 years ago today.

Peter Trask sits at a lab table working on wiring for a scientific device.

My Lab Helps People Breathe Easier All Over the World

June 12, 2023

Peter Trask

My lab here in Gaithersburg, Maryland, helps agencies all over the world track their pollution levels by measuring them accurately.

NIST researchers Yoshi Ohno and Jane Li demonstrate different types of lighting in their lab on NIST’s campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The Eye of the Beholder: How Lighting Affects Our Color Perception

June 6, 2023

Megan King

Remember the social media controversy over the color of a dress? That’s a lighthearted example of how illumination can affect the things we see, but this is serious science.

Header graphic depicting images related to Blaise Pascal: a barometer, a drawing of Blaise Pascal, and a bike tire

Under Pressure: Blaise Pascal, the Barometer and Bike Tires

May 23, 2023

Sandy Ressler

On his 400th birthday, we celebrate the scientist whose name is the unit of measurement for air, bike and car tire pressure. You should read it. No pressure.

Justin Zook in a lab surrounded by genetic sequencing machines

Our Human Genes Are Diverse. Our Team Is Helping Create a DNA Reference Library to Reflect That.

May 11, 2023

Justin Zook

To unlock the full potential of genetic testing and related medical research, we need a diverse, global human genome, known as the pangenome.

Melissa Phillips, wearing safety glasses, poses leaning over an open chest freezer, holding a plastic bag of spinach.

Organic, Vegetarian or Carnivore: Whatever You Eat, My Lab Is Working to Keep It Safe

April 24, 2023

Melissa Phillips

The levels of contaminants in our food supply are, generally, decreasing, but we still need to make sure our food is safe. And measuring tiny things (and big things) is what we do best here at NIST.

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Talk NISTy to Me: When Everyday Words Take On Different Meanings in Measurement Science

What’s in a Name? The Magnetic Weber

Keepers of the Right Answer: Why Measurements at NIST Are Important for the Nation and the World

The Promise of Synthetic Cells: Revolutionary New Drugs, Outer Space Explorers and Pushing Beyond the Limits of Evolution

One of the World’s Roundest Objects Is Helping to Build a Better Mass Measurement

You Don’t Learn This in School: My Experience as a NIST Summer Intern

How Low Can Temperature Go? Lord Kelvin and the Science of Absolute Zero

Measuring Microplastics: To Solve the Problem, We Have to Understand and Measure It

The Sound of Soot: How a Strange Noise Can Keep Us Safer From Fires

From Bookmobiles to Big Data, How Library Scientists Make Information Accessible to All

Measurement in the Movies

Weighing Your Purchases: How New Laws May Help You Become a Savvier Online Shopper

From Diamonds in Your Computer to Safer Medications, NIST Researchers Look at What’s Next for 2024 and Beyond

A Scientific Christmas Tale

Auld Lang ‘Time’: One of the Country’s Timekeepers Makes Sure We Ring in The New Year at Just the Right Second

How Measurement Science Can Help Protect Us From Viruses

Think You Know What a Second Is? It Will Likely Change in the Next Decade.

Microplastics Mystery: Sampling Airborne Microplastics at a Recycling Facility

Up, Up and Away: How NIST Research Helped Improve Weather Balloon Forecasting

What’s in a Name? The Tesla

My Lab Helps People Breathe Easier All Over the World

The Eye of the Beholder: How Lighting Affects Our Color Perception

Under Pressure: Blaise Pascal, the Barometer and Bike Tires

Our Human Genes Are Diverse. Our Team Is Helping Create a DNA Reference Library to Reflect That.

Organic, Vegetarian or Carnivore: Whatever You Eat, My Lab Is Working to Keep It Safe