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Taking Measure

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Stay Safe and Secure Online During Cybersecurity Awareness Month — and All Year

October 17, 2023
Chad Boutin
… Awareness Month winds down for 2023, we’ve  released a cornucopia of information about security and privacy in the digital world — including … security and privacy. Children often get their earliest exposure to technology under parental supervision, so adults should learn good … a legitimate need for you to click a link or provide some sensitive information. Their strategies are always changing. NIST’s Shanée …
masked man with baseball cap seated at a lab bench pipetting samples

Improving Forensic Chemistry: A Q&A With NIST's Ed Sisco

April 28, 2021
… Chemical Analysis Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2014. His research has focused on chemical … is a win. I also believe there is a need to develop ways to use the information generated by forensic scientists, especially in the … and easily defensible. Laboratories are often eager to adopt new technology, but they lack the time and resources to go through the …
Woman with a ball cap on petting a reclining cheetah with another cheetah in the background the

Eavesdropping on Hormones to Help Understand Reproduction

July 16, 2021
Erin Legacki
… hormonal communication. At the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, … spectrometry (LC-MS) to measure hormones and their metabolites. This technology allows me to accurately measure at least 20 different … the health of the placenta and potentially fetal health. This information can help doctors better care for their patients and prevent …
various elements related to biology and flow cytometry. there is a field of cells, a biomanufacturing assembly line and a flow cytometry device

NIST Gets Going With the Flow Cytometry Standards Consortium

January 21, 2021
… communities to solve common measurement problems related to this technology. We sat down with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) chemist Paul DeRose to discuss the consortium in more … as well as associated reagents, materials/biomaterials/measurement technology, and biological assays for flow cytometry applications. We …
a stylized graphic of a ribbon of multicolored A's, C's, T's, and G's astride an electrophoresis readout

Forensic Science is in My DNA

September 14, 2018
Mark Stolorow
… forensics techniques. There’s no question that science and technology have done much to make the justice system more effective and … more awe-inspiring. I was astounded by all the new electrophoresis technology under development there (electrophoresis is a technique that … Standards (OLES) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It was the thrill of a lifetime to join NIST, an …
2015 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows

Calling College STEM Students: Why You Should Consider a Summer Internship @ NIST

January 19, 2016
Brandi Toliver
… not enough to land a job or even pursue a graduate degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, commonly known as STEM. Before … Contribute to innovative, real-world research ranging from quantum information to fire science, Discover what really interests you by … Visit our website  and attend one of our upcoming webinars for more information. Remember, the anticipated deadline for the summer 2016 …
Two women and a young boy look on with interest at something out of frame

Strengthening the STEM Workforce Pipeline Through Outreach

August 22, 2018
Jeanita Pritchett
… Jeanita Pritchett … Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) career outreach programs play a … Since starting my career at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2011, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in … workshops at several schools and the Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre. During those trips, my team engaged with almost …
Lily Chen at her whiteboard

Deciphering: The Thrill of a Lifetime

June 9, 2017
Lily Chen
… called “ stream cipher ,” so named because it encrypts each bit of information as it passes through. My graduate school research mainly … (DES), which was the first cryptographic algorithm to become a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS). It was through DES that I first … provide proper security strength. And this is what the Cryptographic Technology Group at NIST is doing: developing cryptographic standards …
Scott Davis poses smiling and holding a frequency comb console. Other similar electronic products are stacked on carts around him.

Quantum Advances: NIST and Industry Drive Powerful Computing and Clocks

April 8, 2025
Scott Davis
… on investment for American taxpayers. The steady stream of exciting technology that comes from NIST’s research will continue to provide … societal benefits for the U.S.  The next frontier of this is quantum technology. Quantum is the science that describes, explains and … metrology … Physics … Optical physics and communications … Quantum information science … Time and frequency … Quantum Advances: NIST and …
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
… can carry out useful calculations. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) public affairs specialist Chad Boutin interviewed … theorist at NIST/University of Maryland’s Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) and Joint Quantum Institute … a nearby magnetic field has a chance of causing the atom to lose its information. But if you have 500 atoms working together, that …
Man selecting grape juice in grocery store

The Unit Price is Right

March 1, 2017
David Sefcik
… little vexing are having to read small print, not being able to locate information on the label easily, and especially when I see that the … a hodgepodge of approaches. Despite the lack of uniformity in how the information is presented and other flaws, the practice is pretty common … attention to the issue and opportunities regarding the display of information on unit price labels, and some retailers have made steps …
streetlight lit scene of buildings on a waterfront at night

Toward a Resilient Nashua, New Hampshire

August 30, 2019
Justin Kates
… within a planned timeframe. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting research in community resilience. Among … comprehensive emergency management. NMIS emphasizes the importance of information sharing between emergency managers and community planners, … (PIRS), funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate , to spatially evaluate plans and policies that …
Jeremy Marvel adjusts robotic arm

The Cybernetic Revolution: The Influence of Metrology on the User Experience in Human-Robot Interaction

March 11, 2019
Jeremy Marvel
… be robots. We are living in a world in which we are surrounded by technology tailored to our needs. Our clothes are treated with … to facilitate communication and drive interaction. It relays important information to the person working with the machine, and it provides a … found and that it’s accurate, how is the robot supposed to share this information such that an untimely fate is avoided? That’s the …
A Christmas tree is engulfed in flames. To the left is a chair. In front is a coffee table, rug and fishbowl. To the right is a tall bookshelf. There are 3 wrapped presents under the tree. A timer reads 8:04 seconds.

Safety Moon Shot: How Fire Research Cut Deaths by Half in a Generation

October 3, 2024
Megan King
… previously , they were expensive and large.  After this advancement in technology from NASA, fire researchers at NIST (then known as the … lab,” Gann explains with a laugh.      Researchers have shared this information with Underwriters Laboratory, and new requirements for … on people, property and the environment. In the absence of that information, you’re poking around the dark,” Hoehler explains.    As …
Adam Jacoff in the NIST Robot Test Facility in the obstacle course with a robot

Search and Rescue Robotics: A Q&A With NIST's Adam Jacoff

April 28, 2021
… robotics research engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 1988. His research has focused on developing a … that would keep people out of harm’s way. How have developments in technology, such as the advances in aerial and aquatic robots, …
a man and a woman walking toward one another with exposure notification system bracelets on. "Waves" coming off the bracelets show that they are coming too close to one another.

Developing an Exposure Notification System to Blunt the Spread of COVID-19 and Future Pandemics

November 9, 2020
Nader Moayeri
… part of a grassroots effort at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that is developing an exposure notification system … our epidemiological modeling efforts, which provide qualitative information about effectiveness of contact tracing. With this model, we … IDs of the two devices involved in an encounter and encrypting that information. This method, used in our pilot study, provides strong …
Man in suit with briefcast looking over edge of crevice

Ignoring Cybersecurity is Risky Business

November 17, 2016
Pat Toth
… engineering, potentially fooling your employees into giving away information that they could use to hurt your business’s reputation or … when they need that application to do their work. How do they handle information that may be sensitive to the business such as tax or … . And be careful out there! *Edited Nov. 28, 2016 … Information technology … Cybersecurity … Cybersecurity education and workforce …
Illustration shows view out a car windshield with rain, sun, wind and snow images. Dashboard screen says: Congestion, Obstacle, Speed Limit, Temperature, Weather.

Cruising Toward Self-Driving Cars: Standards and Testing Will Help Keep Autonomous Vehicles Moving Safely on the Road

January 17, 2023
Edward Griffor
… believe humans still have an edge over today’s technologies, but technology is rapidly improving.  Industry, government and other … test the safety of automated vehicles. Government, manufacturing and technology companies, researchers, and other stakeholders can … when they do arrive, you can be sure NIST will be under the hood.   … Information technology … Artificial intelligence … Infrastructure … …
On a rooftop overlooking a waterfront town, an equipment box is attached to a pole anchored with concrete blocks.

Data in Demand: How the U.S. Navy’s Bandwidth Can Boost Your Data Speed

January 20, 2023
Melissa Midzor
… memes.  The spectrum has been divided up over the decades. As our technology expanded, telecommunications companies, governments and … National Science Foundation, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.  CBRS needs measurement, and we know how to … the CBRS are even being updated as we take measurements because the information changes so quickly.  In October 2022, we deployed our first …
Percival Lowell with his radio receiver and amplifier set

NIST’s Role in the Early Decades of Radio (1911-1933)

February 13, 2020
Alex Boss
… (NBS), the agency that became the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This came about when the second International … the frequency that the Department of Commerce used to send weather information to planes and ships, which sometimes caused interference … frequency the radio beacon operated on, which gave altitude and other information. Dunmore created a prototype, but Harry Diamond, a radio …
collage of blueprints for buildings and an airplane, a pile of rubble, a live fire test of a simulated office, and the word Reconstruction

Reconstructing the Fires That Brought Down WTC 1, 2 and 7

August 4, 2021
Richard G. Gann
… day: who planned the attack, how the pilots were trained, and some information about the World Trade Center itself, but little about how … Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The subject was the possibility of the creation of … this. There were such heavy questions: How were we going to get the information needed to model the fires with a high degree of confidence? …
Alexander Kramida looks up as he sits at his desk in front of a computer screen full of data.

Shedding Light: How NIST’s Light Database Helps Bring You Computer Chips, Welded Steel and More

March 17, 2025
Alexander Kramida
… us to the light of the same atoms here on Earth. Astronomers use this information to study the expansion of the universe after the Big Bang. … data for researchers. This helps all kinds of users have the best information possible to do their work. The Light Database in Action … manage the Atomic Spectra Database , a catalog of atomic spectroscopy information that industries, academia and others use to do research and …
a collage including images of a radio tower, a handheld radio, a fire engine, and the word Connection

How 9/11 Changed Me and First Responder Communications

August 11, 2021
Dereck Orr
… which is how I found myself at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) beginning in 2002. With the federal government’s … with its long and distinguished history in advancing standards and technology, would be a critical player in addressing this important … and engineers from NIST and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication …
A large gathering of women on a staircase

The Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics: Leveling the Playing Field

March 27, 2020
Amber McCreary
… Inclusivity is a core value at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and we strive to make it a welcoming place for all. … I will always advocate for empowering women in all fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the data tells us that the … physics community. … Physics … Atomic / molecular / quantum … Quantum information science … The Conference for Undergraduate Women in …
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