Ben P. Stein

How NIST Helped Start an Industry: Our Role in Jump-Starting Quantum Information Science

May 28, 2025

While quantum technology may seem like a new field, it’s been around for a while and has a fascinating history — much of which involved NIST’s experts.

A researcher wearing a lab coat uses tongs to place a silvery sphere into a large scientific device as another researcher looks on.

Talk NISTy to Me: When Everyday Words Take On Different Meanings in Measurement Science

December 4, 2024

Words that have common meanings have different definitions in the world of measurement science.

Measurement in the Movies

March 6, 2024

The nominees are in … for the best use of measurement in a movie.

A person in coveralls and white gloves holds out a circular wafer of reflective silicon chips.

Why NIST Is Putting Its CHIPS Into U.S. Manufacturing

October 7, 2022

The CHIPS Act aims to help U.S. semiconductor manufacturers grow, and NIST is going to play a big role in this effort.

From the Noggin to the Butt: Quirky Measurement Units Throughout Human History

March 30, 2022

When we talk about measurement units here at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), you'll typically hear us rattling off the official ones

a stylized rendering of the periodic table

The Periodic Table: It's More than Just Chemistry and Physics

May 28, 2019

This is the International Year of the Periodic Table, and while I’ve been (accurately) accused of being a physics fanboy, I’m here to tell you that this famous

Twelve Ways NIST Is Working for You: 2017 Edition

December 29, 2017

As managing editor in the NIST Public Affairs Office, I learn every day how our researchers tackle important societal issues in their work. As 2017 comes to a