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 151 - 175 of 398
view from a beach of a bright yellow sunrise creaking through the clouds

Time on the Beach: Working at NIST Hawaii

July 12, 2018
Andrew Nobleman
… The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has campuses in Maryland, Colorado, South Carolina and … host of other services.  In addition to accurate time and frequency information, the station also broadcasts weather alerts and space … users to always have access to the correct time as well as the other information provided by WWVH. WWVH’s sister station, WWV, broadcasts out …
Camila Espina Young poses outdoors for a head shot

Hurricane Maria Recollections, Software Nostalgia, The Brothers Engineering: A Sample of Stories on NIST Social Media

November 2, 2022
Riley Wilson
… jumped onto social media and started amplifying any critical information for the public (shelter locations, news reports, etc.) that … investigators seize a computer, they need to quickly push aside the information that doesn’t relate to a potential crime and get to the … NIST on social media: Facebook National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership Twitter @NIST …
A cartoon robot holding up a pair of cups representing energy wells. An dot with an "e-" on it representing an electron is in the left cup. In the background is a black and white closeup of a electronic chip. Above the cups there are blue colored electric leads.

Ebb and Flow: Creating Quantum Dots Automatically With AI

May 27, 2020
Justyna Zwolak
… of a quantum computer’s processor. While in classical computers, information and processes are coded as strings of 0 (no signal in the … electrons around and modify their state, and in doing so perform information processing tasks. Toward the Quantum Revolution Now, to … and returns a prediction of the most likely state of the device. That information is then fed into an optimization routine that, based on what …
Photo of 2 men and one woman

Developing the APTitude to Design New Materials, Atom-by-Atom

January 12, 2017
Paul Blanchard
… though it may be, APT is still relatively new. And like any new technology, APT is in many ways a work in progress. In fact, as we apply … help to accelerate the development of all manner of next-generation technology, from lighter and stronger structures, to faster and more …
cybersecurity padlock illustration

Six Small Cybersecurity Steps You Should Take. Today.

October 7, 2016
Mike Garcia
… . The bottom line is that protecting online resources and information is difficult, it’s new and it’s rapidly changing. Compared … can all make a difference. And while we work together to solve information security concerns on a larger scale, it’s our daily actions … authentication. If they don’t, you can ask for it. Protect your information . Avoid sharing too much personal information online (like …
Esther Baumann leans over a lab table, surrounded with wires and scientific equipment.

A Laser Could Offer a Peek Into the Insides of Our Muscles or Look Through Fire

October 25, 2024
Esther Baumann
… spectroscopy research. Essentially, the second comb helps to get more information about our sample efficiently and quickly.  For example, … instrument that smartly focuses to measure the most useful information for the project and also offers varied imaging options. … I am also researching how we can potentially use this comb laser technology to look inside our muscles.  Your muscles contract when you …
an RNA molecule

RNA Structure and Dynamics: The One-Two Punch in the Fight Against COVID-19

February 17, 2021
Christina Bergonzo
… can’t function. In my work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), I use computer simulations to predict what these RNA … so algorithms to predict RNA structures start out with much less information about what they might look like. This is because RNA can be … use it to predict details for something that we don’t have any other information on — a blind prediction. For instance, SL3 is another short …
A researcher wearing a mask, safety glasses and gloves sits at a desk, looking at electronic devices and writing on a clipboard.

Research-Based Practices Can Help Forensic Scientists Do Their Best Work

April 24, 2025
Melissa Taylor
… someone’s guilt or innocence. One reason for this problem is that as technology improves, we can measure smaller amounts of DNA, so forensic … groups. He’s identified core values of effective groups: Share valid information : Group members must share all relevant information they have in an understandable manner, allowing others to …
A grid of 12 obviously old photos individuals' face from their shoulder up. In each photo is a four-digit code for that person

The Pandemic Poet and Other Tales From a NIST ‘Genealogy’ Project

April 28, 2021
Keith Martin
… getting to know the staff of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, then called the National Bureau of Standards, or … predecessors. This research turned up their full names as well as information about their lives. And like any good genealogy, many of the … not their full names). The addresses are another piece of information helpful in verifying their identities. Following are a few …
artist's concept of the inside of a quantum computer. A grid of blue computer chips with beams of light moving between them.

The Future Is Now: Spreading the Word About Post-Quantum Cryptography

November 24, 2020
Dustin Moody
… there to do: announce that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was kicking off an international competition to find … standardized crypto algorithms, potentially exposing the sensitive information of anybody using those algorithms. Thus, we were tasked to … Information technology … Quantum information science …
graphic showing the number six with a radar dish, a quantum logic clock, arrows representing magnetic spins, a magnifying glass, a baggie of white powder, and a group of cubes in a hexagonal shape

Top 6 NIST News Stories of 2019

November 25, 2019
Mark Esser
… , so naturally, the news from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is widely varied. That’s what makes NIST so … for Smart Manufacturing Blockchain rose to prominence as the enabling technology for bitcoin, but its applications are wide ranging. One of … trust into the platform used for exchanging and processing electronic information during manufacturing known as the digital thread. For more …
Satellite photo of Hurricane Harvey making landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast

Before the Storm: Measuring and Predicting Hurricanes

May 24, 2018
Scott Weaver
… discovery that has led me to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as director of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction … of windstorm-related natural hazards and develop actionable information on how these hazards directly impact communities. We then disseminate that information to strengthen windstorm impact reduction efforts nationwide. …
Elizabeth Gentry holding a kilogram test weight in the weights and measures training lab

Busting Myths about the Metric System

December 23, 2016
Elizabeth Benham
… on packages to provide net quantity, nutrition, and health-related information, and for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicine, … pressure to stay competitive. Adopting the latest science and technology, developed using metric design practices, enables innovation. … react. Research can help ensure decisions aren’t based on out-of-date information or preconceived notions. You might be pleasantly surprised …
Text reads "2019 top 7 visuals." Text is surrounded by pictures that appear in the article.

Top 7 NIST Visuals of 2019

November 25, 2019
Mark Esser
… images, especially here at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).  In the past couple of weeks, we've shown you the top … is at the forefront of research in the revolutionary field of quantum information, which includes efforts to build a practical quantum computer. This clock doesn't need coffee   Next-generation technology, coffee bean for scale — the heart of this miniature atomic …
Pigeon bomb pilot

The Saga of the Bird-Brained Bombers

August 29, 2017
Keith Martin
… a ground operator who would remotely steer the bomb. But television technology was still in its infancy in the 1940s, and there was too much … Pigeon is still with us today. The conductive touchscreen display technology the pigeons used made its way into early radar consoles and …
Grid showing six fingerprints in different false colors.

A Tale of Two Errors: Measuring Biometric Algorithms

May 13, 2022
Greg Fiumara
… is critical for usability.   At NIST , researchers conduct biometric technology evaluations, working closely with commercial and academic … compares images of fingerprints, faces and irises. In our biometric technology evaluations such as MINEX , FRVT and IREX , we use software … split-second determinations of identity to help keep you and your information safe. All those pages of analysis often come down to a small …
Photo of damage from 2011 Joplin, Mo, tornado

Resilience Rises from Tragedy in Joplin

May 31, 2016
Marc Levitan
… 175 mph. Indicators such as these will provide much more accurate information than we have now about winds near ground level.  Such information will help to improve engineering designs for tornado … siren systems. We have also recommended the development of “push” technology, like the amber alerts you get on your phone, that would go …
Four people sitting outside on a green tarp wear eclipse glasses as they peer up into the sky.

NIST Researchers Measure Greenhouse Gases During the Solar Eclipse

May 9, 2024
Alex Boss
… Five years later, Tasshi serves as the project leader, developing the technology to network superconducting quantum computers — a critical … large-scale quantum computing.   While he acknowledges that the technology is still decades away from widespread use, he’s embraced the … NIST on social media: Facebook National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership Twitter @NIST …
soldiers running through a tire obstacle at boot camp

A Step in the Right Direction: Building a Better Army Boot

January 17, 2020
Casandra Robinson
… descriptions, the Army asked the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to help it transition from detailed material and … like blisters). As you can see, NIST is doing its part to advance technology, to improve standards, and to help the Army improve soldier …
A burning workcart. There are sensors set up all around it, and the clock on the floor reads 13:59.

The New NIST Fire Calorimetry Database Is Available to Answer Your Burning Questions

December 8, 2020
Matthew Bundy
… it “fire air.” Today, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), we continue to measure oxygen to study the behavior … of NFRL staff has collaborated with colleagues in NIST’s Office of Information Systems Management to build the software infrastructure to … over the NIST website. The interaction between fire researchers and information technologists was fun and rewarding, pushing us all to …
a trio of black topped and white bottomed birds in the grass. A blue, black spotted egg is at the feet of the bird on the left.

Finding the STAMP of Human-Made Pollutants in Seabird Eggs

November 19, 2021
Stacy S. Schuur
… measurement institute such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Yet, for two decades, seabirds have been an important … the archiving of the frozen samples, ensure analysts have the information they need, do some of the chemical analysis, and present the … at NIST by collecting Alaskan seabird eggs (see NISTIR 6735 for more information) under strict collection and processing protocols to avoid …
woman with red laser safety glasses on working at a laser table adjusting optics

Atlantic Salmon Hormones, Trapping Molecular Ions, Lasers for Greenhouse Gas Measurements: Postdocs Share Their Stories on NIST Social Media

January 12, 2021
Riley Wilson
… researchers to join the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Research Council (NRC) Postdoctoral Research … engineers instead of chemists, since they focused so much on the technology and its applications in chemistry. The research team … spectroscopy, using optical frequency combs and high-speed camera technology to look closely at gas molecules. Specifically, they’ve been …
Was this page helpful?