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Taking Measure

Just a Standard Blog

NIST General

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Taking a Seat at the Periodic Table

In case you haven’t already heard, if you wanted to give your loved one that special, once-in-a-lifetime gift by naming one of the elements in row 7 of the
Elizabeth Gentry holding a kilogram test weight in the weights and measures training lab

Busting Myths about the Metric System

This year will be the 45th anniversary of the Metric Conversion Act, which was signed on December 23, 1975, by President Gerald R. Ford. Normally, we celebrate
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Finding Art in Science

I’m a graphic designer, or, in the language of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, a "Visual Information Specialist." For the past 18 years I’ve been
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An Amelia Earhart Mystery at NIST

Amelia Earhart continues to make headlines, mainly because of her mysterious disappearance. The famed aviatrix vanished on July 2, 1937, during her attempt to
Black pencil, white paper with boxes checked in red

Celebrating World Accreditation Day

Want to pique interest in a subject area? Throw a party — right? Enter 2008 and World Accreditation Day. It was Monday, June 9, to be exact. I would love to be
Blonde-haired man standing by bookcase

Science, Science Fiction, and Superheroes

I’m a physicist, and as anyone who watches the popular TV series “ The Big Bang Theory” knows, it’s a commonly held conception that there is a strong connection
Pennies, quarters, dimes, and nickles

Make a Mint Using Measurement Science

Put your hands together. Now move them back and forth to rub them against each other. Feel that heat? That’s from friction. No matter if it’s between siblings
John Cahn standing by blackboard smiling

My Memories of John Cahn

This article was written in response to the March 14, 2016, death of John Cahn, one of the world’s foremost materials scientists, who worked at NIST from 1977
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Weighing My Career as a Metrologist

As happens with most every metrologist I know, I fell into metrology (the science of measurement) quite by accident. My degree was in chemical engineering, and
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Happy Weights and Measures Week 2016!

Like many of you, I venture out on Saturday mornings to get groceries and gas. Until my college years, I never thought much about whether or not I paid the
Hubbard/Meggers Periodic Chart of the Atoms

The Periodic Table: It’s Elementary!

Of all the many useful and interesting periodic tables on the Internet—the periodic tables of the animals, vegetables, and minerals—and U.S. Presidents, Vienna®

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About this blog

Taking Measure is the official blog of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

It provides a behind-the-scenes look at NIST’s research and programs, covering a broad range of science and technology areas. Through this blog, NIST’s researchers and staff share why they do what they do and how today’s research will lead to tomorrow’s innovations.

The views presented here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of NIST.

If you have any questions about our blog or reprint requests, please contact us at takingmeasure [at] nist.gov (takingmeasure[at]nist[dot]gov).