U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Taking Measure

Just a Standard Blog

Search Taking Measure

Put exact phrase in quotes (e.g., "artificial intelligence")
Displaying 1 - 25 of 360
a gold chip with electrodes attached to either side inside a chamber lit with purple light

Quantum Information Science: A Q&A With NIST's Carl Williams

September 13, 2018
… Quantum information science will contribute to one of the next revolutions in … retired from the federal government. How would you describe quantum information science? CJW: Quantum information science (QIS) is really … road. Why is this important to the U.S.? CJW: QIS is a revolutionary technology. It allows you to do things in a totally different way. It …
YouTube like interface on a laptop screen. The text on the screen reads "my videos" and there are several tiles displaying various cat videos below.

Information Retrieval: How NIST Helps You Find That Video Online

January 29, 2020
George Awad
… George Awad … The need for tools to help everyday users access the information they are looking for on the internet is getting more and … the massive amount of data generated every day, hour and minute! This information can be in different formats, such as text (e.g., the latest … Retrieval Conference (TREC) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to address the need for a more coordinated evaluation …
abstract web world illustration

Why Security and Privacy Matter in a Digital World

September 28, 2017
Ron Ross
… on the internet without some direct or veiled reference to the lack of information security or intrusions into personal privacy. Many … systems have exposed sensitive mission, business and personal information. Every day it seems that more and more systems are breached … world. We are witnessing and taking part in the greatest information technology revolution in the history of mankind as our society …
Researcher Brandon Lane making adjustments inside the large 3D printer

Technology That Will Change Our World in 2023 and Beyond: Manufacturing Innovation

January 3, 2023
Pravina Raghavan
… Extension Partnership, looks ahead to the most transformative technology taking hold for the coming year and beyond in the world of … the recent increase in availability of two things necessary for this technology to advance — optical equipment that can detect tiny details … and the technological tools to run their businesses successfully.  … Information technology … Internet of Things (IoT) … Manufacturing … …
concept art showing profiles of featureless faces behind a filed of 1s and 0s

A Framework for Online Privacy

September 26, 2018
Naomi Lefkovitz
… Online privacy is a growing concern. Companies are mining our personal information and preferences to sell us products and present us with … regard to cybersecurity, and why is privacy a concern? What type of information needs to be protected, and what can happen when it isn't? … identity management, big data, mobile, IoT (internet of things) or any technology domain. Any last thoughts? NBL: There’s going to be a lot of …
a collage of different graphical objects including representations of an ambulance, a police car, fire fighters, 911 call takers and various communications technologies like smartphones.

How NIST Is Helping First Responders Stay Connected

November 24, 2020
Shanée Dawkins
… I am a computer scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducting research focused on human-centered … and just as you’re about to give that paramedic a critical piece of information, the call is disconnected due to poor cellular service. … the burden on the user having to remember different login and password information for each device or application they use. Another technology …
Donna Dodson

A Life in Public Service: A Q&A With NIST's Donna Dodson

May 6, 2020
… Donna Dodson retired from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on May 8, 2020. Over her career, she has played a … organizations and individuals. As a nation, we are dependent on the information technology infrastructure that is shared by businesses, … we lose the value that comes from taking full advantage of the information and capabilities in our systems and networks. In fact, we …
Alicia, Bob, Carrie and Dave working in a factory equipped with augmented reality. Hazards and detours are shown as Carrie would see them through her augmented reality headset. Machines display digital info. Bob checks a machine in error. Alicia watches the scene on her computer screen seeing the same digital information on her screen.

Industrial XR: Fulfilling Human Potential in Smart Factories

July 9, 2020
Bill Bernstein, Teodor Vernica
… she walks through the facility. With Dave’s guidance, she sees digital information, such as a machine’s status, appearing in her view. Each … virtual reality. This factory might be hard to imagine, but each technology already exists. What’s missing are standard formats, … (NIST) is helping U.S. factories realize this vision through advanced information technology. Vital to this transformation are standards. …
collage of transparent tiles, each with an icon on them, a lock, a light bulb, a quantum computer, a computer server, a globe, a tablet, the White House, and a computer screen

Post-Quantum Cryptography: A Q&A With NIST’s Matt Scholl

October 19, 2021
… Computer Security Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), discusses how worried we should be about this and … the danger a future quantum computer poses to our data. How is our information protected today? What would happen if a quantum computer … sensitive national security secrets. So, the first question is, what information are we sending across networks that we don't fully control? …
Brian Weiss overseeing his robot's operation

Operation Tech Transfer

January 8, 2020
Brian A. Weiss
… Brian A. Weiss … The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a world-class research organization. We have … profitable, and thrive on the world stage. What I’m talking about is technology transfer. Simply put, technology transfer is the activity of … developing the next generation of the sensor to increase the volume of information that the test method can capture when it’s executed. So, …
firefighter holding a phone with an app pulled up on the screen

When Standardized Data Can Help Save Lives

July 26, 2019
Britta Voss
… regardless of which client they choose. Many other types of digital information exchange are not interoperable like email. Instead, if you … a science policy fellow with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division … risks of data systems, especially those containing highly sensitive information with limited public accountability. Public safety agencies …
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
… in many ways. One approach being pursued uses a Nobel Prize-winning technology called a frequency comb , which is a very precise “ruler” … the major air pollutants ozone and carbon monoxide. This dual-comb technology could help in understanding and monitoring emissions of the … Heyman Service to America Medal, known as a "Sammie," in the science, technology and environment category. The citation recognizes them for …
Side-by-side photos show Mei Lee Ngan disguised with a wig, moustache and makeup (left) and as her normal, smiling self (right).

Facing the Facts to Keep Our Biometrics Secure

September 24, 2024
Mei Lee Ngan
… anyone but themselves to avoid being picked up by facial recognition technology.    While my Ron Swanson experiment was innocent, people … should be aware of protecting their important passwords and biometric information. Changing compromised passwords is easy, but changing your biometric information is not.  If you’re not sure if you trust an app or a …
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
… starting to see the endless applications that are driving telecom technology, and it makes me wonder: What’s next?  What Led Me to NIST … was being transformed, and businesses were operating with near-instant information.  I’ve been immersed in the wired and wireless industry for … I discovered after starting here: uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) technology. Specifically, I investigate the unique use cases related to …
A gas field with gas leak detection systems arrayed in circles with the path of appearing as spokes. Several billowing gas leak clouds can be seen.

The Long Road from Nobelists' Invention to LongPath Technologies

May 1, 2019
Greg Rieker
… This was a critical step toward developing practical frequency comb technology. It took advantage of the robust, low-cost optical fiber technology coming out of the telecommunications industry and shifted … two carefully controlled frequency combs to convert the absorption information carried by the combs down to lower frequencies that common …
A person in a baseball cap and face mask stands at a computer surrounded by scientific equipment, including a curving black plastic tube.

NIST Partnership Helps Communities Manage Unknown Dangers in Common Street Drugs

February 28, 2023
Edward Sisco
… that time, state forensic laboratories were the only source for this information. And while helping forensic laboratories was vital work, we realized these labs were not able to provide the most up-to-date information on the street drug picture in any given community.  Due to … harm or be used to link similar samples together.  Other, limited, information came from needle exchange sites where fentanyl test strips …
NIST's Andrew Wilson holds an ion trap in his lab in Boulder, Colorado. Behind him are screens depicting dots.

From GPS to Laser Pointers, Quantum Science Is All Around Us

March 24, 2023
Andrew Wilson
… of quantum physics is called semiclassical physics. And a lot of technology based on this uses superposition. Today, this is widely … labs, some clever people realized that this toolbox could be used for information processing. Quantum computing emerged from the “coming … of clever ideas and advancements in labs, a mix of quantum physics and information science. We can develop quantum computers, but what else …
In front of a laptop computer, a hand holds a cell phone that has a conversation with generative AI on the phone screen.

Minimizing Harms and Maximizing the Potential of Generative AI

November 8, 2023
Elham Tabassi
… you also became concerned about the societal implications of this technology, such as job insecurity  or misinformation. We have to be … both the tremendous potential and frightening possibilities of this technology.  That’s why at NIST, we’re working with the technology … sure the technology works for people, not the other way around.  … Information technology … Artificial intelligence … Trustworthy and …
Four men are protected by a net structure as they look away from the camera toward a drone flying in a large high-ceilinged room with street signs on the walls.

Drones in Disaster Zones: How Advanced 3D Mapping Technology Can Help First Responders Save Lives

January 6, 2025
Megan King
… to rescue people from an earthquake-ravaged home, they need real-time information. If law enforcement officers are looking for a shooter in a … structurally stable enough for them to attempt a rescue.  But timely information can be scarce during a natural disaster or other dangerous … hazards and mapping the inside of the building.    “This mapping technology can allow first responders to know where there might be …
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
… me a few years ago about my opinion on the security of my personal information, my response would have centered around my Social Security number or my credit card information. Like many of my federal colleagues, I have been impacted … in multiple federal government agencies, I have worked in information technology organizations and been able to be part of teams and task …
Box at top that looks like search bar. 6 icons that look like pieces of paper with magnifying glasses on top. 3 are green and checkmarked.

Seek and You Will (Probably) Find: Helping Mine COVID-19 Research Data

July 16, 2020
Ellen Voorhees
… Ellen Voorhees … Think back to the last time you did an information search. Did you find what you were looking for?  How easy … Search is now pervasive, and we generally assume we’ll be able to find information we want. So, by that definition, search engines are good … was a neutral party with no predisposition to any particular search technology. This impartiality is critical because of the way large test …
Portrait of NIST researcher Shanée Dawkins

My Research Can Help Protect You — and Your Company — From Hackers Trying to Steal Your Money and Information

September 29, 2023
Shanée Dawkins
… can accidentally give away their company’s secrets, their bank account information, or an organization’s medical records.  I thought this … crafted for just one person.  In doing our research, we realized this information would be useful for organizations other than NIST. So, … at NIST, including in voting and public safety communications.  While technology can do amazing things, the stories of people who have lost …