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Stephen Eckel wears dark safety glasses as he peers into the complex CAVS apparatus in a darkened lab.

How Low Can Temperature Go? Lord Kelvin and the Science of Absolute Zero

May 7, 2024

On Lord Kelvin’s 200th birthday today, we’re remembering the scientist who brought us the metric (SI) unit for temperature.

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

Several centuries ago, scientists discovered oxygen while experimenting with combustion and flames. One scientist called it “fire air.” Today, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), we continue to measure oxygen to study the behavior of fires. The NIST National Fire Research

Zach Levine in his kitchen wearing an orange and white striped apron and chef's hat

Minding your Peas and Carrots: Please Try This at Home

July 10, 2020

Ron Cowen

NIST physicist Zachary Levine doesn’t cook that often, but when he does it can easily turn into a science experiment. Two years ago, after he and his wife had endured a week of under-baked cookies and chicken that took forever to roast, Levine wasn’t content to simply recalibrate his oven according

$an opalescent close up of Roman glass. There is a clear semi-circular fracture in the center of the piece.$

Ancient Roman Glass, Perceiving Color in LED, 3D Mapping for Public Safety, SRMs in Space: A Sample of Stories From the Social Sphere

May 21, 2020

Riley Wilson

Photos of culinary masterpieces, opinions on world events, memories from the good times … we share a lot on social media to feel connected and together. Coordinating the social media presence for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) means that I get to share enthusiasm. That’s

Circular multicolored graphic showing the symbols for the SI base units and the constants that are used to define them.

For All Times, For All Peoples: How Replacing the Kilogram Empowers Industry

November 26, 2018

James K. Olthoff

Two unusual things happened on Nov. 16, 2018. Fifty-four nations from every continent (except Antarctica) agreed on something, and metrology, the science of measurement, was major news! On that day in Versailles, France, the world’s measurement experts voted to do something momentous. They passed a

NIST researcher Mike Moldover with a basketball-sized metal sphere used to measure the speed of sound in a gas

Proving Our Mettle: NIST and the Boltzmann Constant Competition

December 20, 2017

Michael Moldover

How tall are you? How old? How much do you weigh? Do you care? Is it important to you that the measurements for height, age and weight are accurate? What about the measurement of the gasoline that you pump into your tank? Is it important that the 12 gallons you pay for are truly 12 gallons

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