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Displaying 101 - 125 of 415

Illustration has "TLP" on a computer screen linked to a robot arm, a human brain, gears and other symbols.

Teaching Computers to Read ‘Industry Lingo’ — Technical vs. Natural Language Processing

October 21, 2022

Michael Sharp

People generally are very good at learning and translating context and intent. Computers, however, are not.

Team image of ARCC at the NIST PSCR 2021 First Responder UAS 3.1: FastFind Stage 3 Live Demonstration

It Takes a (Worldwide) Village to Improve Drone Technology for First Responders

October 17, 2022

Terese Manley

The research continues because the need continues.

Colorful graphic showing the seven SI units with abbreviations and icons.

Top 10 Tips for Teaching the Metric System

October 7, 2022

Elizabeth Benham

Calling all teachers, parents and students. It’s easy to learn the metric system — or, as it’s more formally called, the International System of Units (SI). Explore these top 10 tips for teaching the SI. Let’s begin the countdown with … 10. Make it fun! Integrating metric measurements into play

A person in coveralls and white gloves holds out a circular wafer of reflective silicon chips.

Why NIST Is Putting Its CHIPS Into U.S. Manufacturing

October 3, 2022

Ben P. Stein

The CHIPS Act aims to help U.S. semiconductor manufacturers grow, and NIST is going to play a big role in this effort.

Sun and shade play over green and rocky mountains and terraces outlined with stone walls.

Historic Measures: How Standards and Technology Enabled the Inca Empire to Thrive

September 19, 2022

Natascha Milesi-Ferretti

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a reflection on the achievements of the Inca of the South American Andes.

A Lego structure wired to various electronic readout devices stands on a wooden counter surrounded by other scientific equipment. A sign on the concrete wall behind reads "No Turkeys Allowed."

How Lego Bricks Shaped My Career at NIST

September 1, 2022

Leon Chao

Leon Chao explains how the popular toys inspired the first tabletop version of an ultraprecise measurement machine.

Woman with long dark hair wearing safety goggle stands in front of a table that has a series of lenses on stands

What’s a Physicist? My Summer as a Student Intern at NIST

August 26, 2022

Valeria Viteri-Pflucker

Valeria Viteri-Pflucker found what she was looking for at NIST: hands-on experimental experience.

Two women in hiking gear stands at the top of a canyon, which is in the background.

Speeding Up Carbon Capture: A Q&A With NIST Scientist Pamela Chu

August 23, 2022

She explains what NIST is doing to speed up the chemical reactions — and the innovations — that might help slow down climate change.

Jeffrey Fong poses smiling in front of a railing overlooking a concrete dam.

My Journey From Designing Dams to Helping Structures Live Their Longest Lives

August 2, 2022

Jeffrey T. Fong

Jeffrey Fong writes about how his personal drive for safe engineering design led him to work at NIST.

Joannie Chin stands with arms crossed, wearing safety goggles, in front of scientific equipment.

Building in a Changing Climate: A Q&A With NIST’s Joannie Chin

July 26, 2022

The director of NIST’s Engineering Laboratory discusses the role of buildings in creating and mitigating climate change.

Ming Zheng stands outside smiling and holding a model of a nanotube made of a lattice of smaller tubes.

To See Life in a Drop of Blood

July 7, 2022

Ming Zheng

A NIST researcher shares his excitement about the promise of a hybrid molecule that can detect disease.

Six men stand in front of an airplane in a hangar, with equipment displayed on carts in front of them.

From Waxlight to Moonlight: 21st Century Standard Candles at NIST

July 1, 2022

Steven Brown

Before I tell you about the high-altitude NASA aircraft we use and the lunar observatory we are building, let’s talk about the earliest standard for measuring light output: the humble candle.

Left: Machine that looks like an old fashioned typewriter in a box. Right: picture of Alan Turing along with a bio. Both are from a museum exhibit.

Alan Turing’s Everlasting Contributions to Computing, AI and Cryptography

June 21, 2022

René Peralta

Suppose someone asked you to devise the most powerful computer possible. Alan Turing, whose reputation as a central figure in computer science and artificial intelligence has only grown since his untimely death in 1954, applied his genius to problems such as this one in an age before computers as we

Yellowish blades of kelp are growing under the surface of the water.

Improving Recycling, Tracking Mercury and Analyzing Kelp: A Sample of Eco-Friendly Research Featured on NIST Social Media

June 8, 2022

Riley Wilson

Preserving our planet's health is no small feat, and NIST researchers are tackling the challenge from multiple angles.

Colorized micrograph shows cells with pink centers and turquoise edges on a black background.

How Henrietta Lacks Changed My View of Human Cells as a Physicist

May 27, 2022

Greta Babakhanova

A NIST researcher has developed a whole different kind of appreciation for her samples.

Alexey Gorshkov poses at a whiteboard, holding a marker.

What’s So Great About Quantum Computing? A Q&A With NIST Theorist Alexey Gorshkov

May 20, 2022

The NIST theorist discusses his efforts toward designing quantum computers, revealing their possible capabilities, and showing why we all should be excited about them.

Illustration shows a pattern of repeating DNA strands with a shadowy figure in a trenchcoat and hat lurking behind.

How Secure Is Your DNA?

May 19, 2022

Ronald Pulivarti

Is genomic data distinct from other data types? How should cybersecurity protection be tailored to genomic data? NIST is working to find the answers.

Grid showing six fingerprints in different false colors.

A Tale of Two Errors: Measuring Biometric Algorithms

May 13, 2022

Greg Fiumara

NIST researchers conduct biometric technology evaluations, working closely with developers of software that compares images of fingerprints, faces and irises.

Eight adults pose for a photo standing by a white van with the side door open, showing equipment inside.

Detecting Methane Gas Leaks and Other Pollutants Using Frequency Combs: A Q&A With Sammie Finalists

May 3, 2022

The list of what is polluting our atmosphere and contributing to global warming is long and varied. And if we want to solve this problem, being able to accurately measure what’s happening is key.

Clothes rack. Sign in middle. Left pointing arrow says Donate with clothes hanging. Right facing arrow says "keep" pointing to other clothes.

Your Old Clothes Can Come Full Circle With Textile Recycling

May 2, 2022

Kelsea Schumacher

When NIST hosted the Facilitating a Circular Economy for Textiles workshop last fall, I learned that all unwanted textile products should be donated or recycled no matter their condition.

A man modeling a safety helmet talks with two others standing behind a table in a conference hotel.

What Is $300 Million Worth? The Evolution of NIST’s Public Safety Research

April 21, 2022

Dereck Orr

I’m particularly proud that the $300 million enabled us to engage and recruit so many external partners from industry, academia and public safety.

Circular economy illustration has a circle with images of a dump, a scientist, a sea turtle, a water bottle.

Waste Not, Want Not: The ‘Circular Economy’ Gives NIST New Opportunities to Help Create a More Environmentally Sound Future

April 20, 2022

Kate Beers

Our program should enable technological solutions that can be scaled up from individual molecules to entire industries across the whole supply chain.

Historical photo shows RMS Titanic from the side, with four prominent funnels.

NIST and the Titanic: How the Sinking of the Ship Improved Wireless Communications for Navigating the Sea

April 7, 2022

Alex Boss

If you’ve seen the movie Titanic starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, then you’ve watched the star-crossed lovers’ untimely end and the tragic sinking of the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Titanic. What the movie didn’t show is that radio played a role in the ship’s communication efforts — though it

Historical photo shows two rows of women working at long tables.

New Jersey’s ‘Radium Girls’ and the NIST-Trained Scientist Who Came to Their Aid

March 7, 2022

Ron Cowen

Radiation expert and historian Bert Coursey, who has worked at NIST for 50 years, writes extensively on the history of radium and radiation standards. He recently reviewed NIST’s connection with the radium dial workers — notably the role of one heroic woman — in the Journal of Research of the

The sun rises over a green marsh with an open channel of water running through.

In a Changing Climate, Resilience Research Can Help Communities ‘Make Decisions for a Better Future’

March 7, 2022

Climate change keeps NIST economist Jennifer Helgeson up at night. Not with worry, but with work. For the last several weeks, Helgeson was working on the latest report from the IPCC.

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