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Physical Measurement Laboratory

News and Updates

Displaying 251 - 275 of 1488
origami

Making the DNA Melt Curve More Accurate

DNA is not only the blueprint of life; it has become the backbone for making tiny structures that can be inserted into the human body to diagnose and treat
petri dish

Shrinking (Ultra)Violet

While awaiting full access to their labs due to COVID-19 restrictions, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have taken this
Overhead view of a room full of scientific equipment

Spotlight: SURF and Solar Storms

When the surface of the Sun erupts, it emits dangerous particles that can knock out GPS and communication links on our planet, but the rain of particles from a
Yoshi Ohno poses behind a table holding brightly colored foods like red peppers and bananas.

Spotlight: Yoshi Ohno and the Vision Lab

In arguably the coziest laboratory on NIST’s campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland, fellow Yoshi Ohno and his colleagues make measurements on the white light
Terrestrial Laser Scanner and GPS

Helping Laser Scanners Measure Up

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a novel, accurate, easy-to-operate, time- and labor-saving way to provide
solar panels on green field

How Low Can You Go? Lower Than Ever Before

Silicon, the best-known semiconductor, is ubiquitous in electronic devices including cellphones, laptops and the electronics in cars. Now, researchers at the
Building exterior

Spotlight: Radiometric Dating

Dating can be complicated. Our team uses this instrument — a live-timed anticoincidence counter — to figure the decay rate of an isotope, which we can then use
Opposite sides of a quartz crystal resonator

Universe in the Balance

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have found a way to link measurements made by a device integral to microchip