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Search News by Jennifer Lauren Lee

Displaying 26 - 50 of 93

How Low Can You Go? Lower Than Ever Before

February 26, 2020

Silicon, the best-known semiconductor, is ubiquitous in electronic devices including cellphones, laptops and the electronics in cars. Now, researchers at the

A Spin Wave Detective Story: NIST Researchers Verify Surprising Behavior in a 2D Magnet

February 18, 2020

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered a surprising feature in two-dimensional (2D) magnets, a new class of

Tracking Lab-Grown Tissue With Light

December 12, 2019

Someday, doctors would like to grow limbs and other body tissue for soldiers who have lost arms in battle, children who need a new heart or liver, and many

Fly Me (Partway) to the Moon

November 19, 2019

Last week, scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United

The Half of It: Argentinian Metrologist Builds NIST-Inspired ‘Half-Angle’ Measurement System

October 30, 2019

When Jorge Campbell, an engineer from Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI), visited the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Brighter Future for LEDs: NIST Introduces New Lamp Calibration Lab

September 3, 2019

Question: How many measurement scientists does it take to screw in an LED lightbulb? Answer: For researchers at the National Institute of Standards and

No Longer Under Pressure: NIST Dismantles Giant Mercury Manometer

June 28, 2019

Video by: Jennifer Lauren Lee/NIST. Animations: Sean Kelley/NIST. Music: Blue Dot Sessions. Photos: Bruce Johnson and Jay Hendricks/NIST For the last 30 years

NIST Presents First Real-World Test of New Smokestack Emissions Sensor Designs

June 26, 2019

In collaboration with industry, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have completed the first real-world test of a

NIST Research Sparks New Insights on Laser Welding

April 30, 2019

On its surface, the work is deceptively simple: Shoot a high-power laser beam onto a piece of metal for a fraction of a second and see what happens. But

FLOC Takes Flight: First Portable Prototype of Photonic Pressure Sensor

February 25, 2019

In collaboration with industry, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made the first portable prototype of the Fixed

White Cat Hair on Black Pants: International Study Measures Stability of Precision Masses to Benefit Trade

November 26, 2018

When are two nominally identical kilogram masses no longer identical? When each goes to a different place and adsorbs varying amounts of moisture and

Introducing the ‘Smart Mirror’

September 17, 2018

Lasers play roles in many manufacturing processes, from welding car parts to crafting engine components with 3D printers.* To control these tasks, manufacturers

Exactly how loud is that jackhammer?

August 17, 2018

When a jackhammer starts pounding outside your window at 7 o’clock on a Monday morning, you might find it annoying. For the worker who is running that

Taking The Heat: New High for NIST’s ‘Light Force’ Laser Power Meter

May 1, 2018

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been developing a novel way of measuring laser power. Their device, called the

Worth the Weight: New International Guidelines Published for Manufacturing Load Cells

April 16, 2018

At the heart of every electronic weighing instrument is a device called a load cell, which takes a mechanical force and turns it into an electronic signal

Making Smokestack Emissions Tests Better, Faster, Cheaper

February 27, 2018

Smokestacks at coal-fired power plants have sensors that continuously monitor their emissions by measuring the flow of gases such as carbon dioxide, mercury

Thanks, Bob: Expanding the Repertoire of NIST’s World-Class Coordinate Measuring Machines

January 30, 2018

The National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) is home to one of the most sensitive machines in the world for measuring objects’ dimensions

Lights, Camera, Calibrate! Improving Space Cameras with a Better Model for Ultra-Bright Lamps

November 14, 2017

Studio photographers may be familiar with the 1,000-watt quartz halogen lamps known as “FELs.” Scientists use them too—specially calibrated ones, at least—to

How Bright is the Moon, Really?

October 13, 2017

The “inconstant moon,” as Shakespeare called it in Romeo and Juliet, is more reliable than his pair of star-crossed lovers might have thought. Now researchers

Lighting a Path to 'Smarter' Homes, Roads, and Bridges

September 27, 2017

If you’re worried about carbon monoxide poisoning, you might purchase a detector for your home. But what if your house itself could sense carbon monoxide and

NIST Boulder Microfab Lab Goes 'Nano'

September 12, 2017

The world-class clean room in the NIST Boulder Microfabrication Facility (BMF) has just gotten a bit more crowded – in a good way. Staff members have recently

Tucking in to NIST’s ‘3D Printer’ Testbed

May 25, 2017

3D printing of metal objects is a booming industry, with the market for products and services worth more than an estimated $2.3 billion in 2015 – a nearly five

A Faster Way to Calibrate Piston Gauges

May 2, 2017

For industry and government labs to ensure their pressure-measurement machines are working correctly, they need a reliable source of pressure. Often, that

Testing the Performance of Semiconductors – with Light

March 28, 2017

Semiconductors are the cornerstone of modern electronics. They’re used in solar cells, light emitting diodes (LEDs), microprocessors in laptops and cell phones

A Standard for Lighting Color Preference?

March 10, 2017

One of the goals of artificial lighting is to make things look natural. White light can make an otherwise appetizing sandwich look like garbage, if the reds