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Metrology

News and Updates

Keyword

Organization

Metric Week Begins 10/10/10!

September 28, 2010

Every day is a metric day at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). But that won't stop the agency from celebrating Metric Week, held...

NIST 'Vision Science Facility' Aims for Lighting Revolution

September 28, 2010

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have become popular with backpackers and cyclists who mount them on headbands for a reliable, hands-free source of illumination...

Glasperlenspiel: NIST Scientists Propose New Test for Gravity

August 31, 2010

A new experiment proposed by physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) may allow researchers to test the effects of gravity with...

From Hydrogen Fuel Stations to Bean Counters, NIST Weights and Measures Works to Meet Market Needs

August 17, 2010

State regulators, meter manufacturers and hydrogen gas producers concerned with developing markets for hydrogen fuel; farmers seeking to more precisely plan...

photo of two men using a smart phone voice translation system

Breaking the Language Barrier: NIST Tests Afghan Language Translation Devices for U.S. Troops

July 21, 2010

At dusk, a car stops at a checkpoint in Afghanistan. It is a tense moment for all. Because an interpreter is not available, U.S. Marines use hand gestures to...

Body of Evidence: New Fast, Reliable Method to Detect Gravesoil

July 21, 2010

Nothing against bloodhounds, but finding bodies buried by someone who wanted them to stay undiscovered can be difficult. However a new technique developed by...

juice cartons showing different kinds of labeling

Proposed Rules Would Allow Metric Only Labeling for Some Products

June 23, 2010

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued two publications calling for the amendment of labeling laws to allow the voluntary use of...

45th CMIL Meeting

May 14, 2010

We are pleased to inform you that the web site for the 45th CIML Meeting to be held from 21 through 24 September 2010 in Orlando (FL, USA) is now open: http:/...

Colorized micrograph of superconducting circuit

NIST Develops 'Dimmer Switch' for Superconducting Quantum Computing

April 27, 2010

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed the first "dimmer switch" for a superconducting circuit linking a quantum...

NIST engineer Sae Woo Nam working on a photo detector

NIST Detector Counts Photons With 99 Percent Efficiency

April 13, 2010

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed the world's most efficient single photon detector, which is able to count...

A quantum-mechanics-based simulation demonstrates how a new NIST instrument can delicately pull a chain of atoms apart.

NIST Researchers Holding Steady in an Atomic-Scale Tug-of-War

March 30, 2010

How hard do you have to pull on a single atom of--let's say--gold to detach it from the end of a chain of like atoms?* It's a measure of the astonishing...

NIST, NASA Launch Joint Effort to Develop New Climate Satellites

March 2, 2010

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have launched a joint effort to gather...

NIST Grants Awards for Recovery Act Fellowship Programs

February 19, 2010

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is awarding a total of $19.5...

Proper Vaccine Refrigeration Vital to Putting Disease on Ice

January 26, 2010

Every year, billions of dollars worth of vaccines are shipped to thousands of medical providers across the country, and every year doctors must dispose of tens...

$A single photon travels through alternating layers of low (blue) and high (green) refractive index material more slowly (top) or quickly (bottom) depending upon the order of the layers.$

Stacking the Deck: Single Photons Observed at Seemingly Faster-than-Light Speeds

January 26, 2010

Researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a collaboration of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland at...

Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology Awards Over $34 Million in Recovery Act Grants to Increase Innovation and Improve American Competitiveness

January 8, 2010

GAITHERSBURG, Md.–The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today awarded $34.12 million in grants for measurement...