Timekeeping

A Walk Through Time
A descriptive look at the history of timekeeping from ancient to modern methods, with a brief introduction to NIST Time and Frequency Services.

From Sundials to Atomic Clocks: Understanding Time and Frequency (26.3 MB PDF)
Originally published in 1977, this full-length book provides a comprehensive, easy-to-understand introduction to the field of time and frequency. Readers of nearly all ages and educational backgrounds should find it enjoyable. 306 pages.

NIST Web Clock
Compare your computer's clock with NIST's atomic clock set to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

FAQ (frequently asked questions) and Glossary of Frequency and Timing. 

Physics Laboratory Exhibits
in the NIST Virtual Museum

Marie Curie and the NBS Radium Standards
A history of the NBS radium standards and Marie Curie's involvement.

The Fall of Parity
Experiments in late 1956 demonstrating that our world is distinguishable from its mirror image.

The Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Invention of a precursor instrument, the topografiner, between 1965 and 1971.

Nobel Prizes^*

NIST/JILA Fellow Jan Hall shares 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics

NIST's Dr. Eric Cornell shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics with two other researchers.

NIST's Dr. William D. Phillips shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics with two other researchers.