NIST News

One of the biggest scientific challenges in the world is the development of new ways to produce, transport, and sustain energy in the 21st Century, and nanotechnology holds many of the keys to … more

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—Electronic technologies could be deployed immediately and reliably to augment slower postal mail for distributing ballots to U.S. citizens living abroad, but using … more

Two physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have won Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the nation’s highest honor for … more

The creation of the first high-density gas of ultracold molecules by scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced the first-round candidates for its open cryptographic competition to select a new state-of-the-art “hash … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is interested in detailed pitches for critical national and societal needs that could be the basis for new competitions for research … more

The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence—described by one industry CEO as “probably the single most influential document in the modern history of American … more

The spin of the Earth is slowing down. Not by much; only about 0.002 seconds a day (it varies), relative to our modern definition of the second. The varying rotation of the Earth is due to the … more

Anyone who has watched crime dramas on TV knows that forensic scientists can use DNA “profiling” to identify people from evidence gathered at a crime scene, establish a … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a method to measure the toughness—the resistance to fracture—of the thin insulating films … more

Guest researcher John Jendzurski prepares the NIST electromagnetic phantom for passage through the walk-through metal detector behind it. The carbon-polymer blocks of the phantom are … more

Electronic technologies could be deployed immediately and reliably to augment slower postal mail for distributing ballots to U.S. citizens living abroad, but using telephone, e-mail, and the Web to … more

Nine staff members of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been elected new fellows of the American Physical Society, the largest professional organization of physicists … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced the first conference on an open cryptographic competition to select a new “hash” algorithm for securing … more

Carbon, the active ingredient in charcoal, is normally not considered a fire retardant, but researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have determined that adding a … more

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed software that improves the accuracy of the tracking devices in its immersive, or virtual, research environment … more

In a pioneering effort, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Queensland in Australia have successfully demonstrated* that they can count, … more

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently presented 71 staff members with the Departmental Bronze Medal and … more

On May 7, 2008, MML and Mississippi State University co-hosted a workshop to discuss recent advances in fracture toughness testing of structural materials. This workshop entitled "Crack Tip Opening … more

Gallium nitride (GaN)-based semiconductors have successfully been incorporated into commercial light emitting diodes and commercial laser diodes that operate from ultraviolet (UV) to green … more

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined President George W. Bush in announcing the 2008 recipients of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) held a rescue robot exercise in Texas last week in which about three dozen robots were tested by developers and first responders in order … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded grants totaling more than $24 million to three universities to provide cost-shared support for the construction of new … more

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and President Bush today announced that three organizations are the recipients of the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige … more

NIST physicist David Wineland will receive the inaugural Herbert Walther Award in recognition of his “seminal contributions to quantum information physics and metrology, and the … more

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) has just published a new strategic plan to guide the activities of the four federal agencies that participate in the program for the next … more

A new testing procedure just published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) represents the final step in a decade-long effort led by the National Institute of Standards and … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) last week released its final report on the Sept. 11, 2001, collapse of the 47-story World Trade Center building 7 (WTC 7) in New York City. … more

Researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated for the first time the existence of a key magnetic—as opposed to … more

The lack of common measurement methods among light-emitting diode (LED) and lighting manufacturers has affected the commercialization of solid-state lighting products. In a recent paper,* … more

A graphical overlay can improve the quality of facial images obtained by facial recognition systems. Credit: NIST View hi-resolution image Facial recognition systems perform some … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated their ability to measure relatively low levels of stress or strain in regions of a semiconductor device as … more

The CNST is pleased to announce that Vincent Luciani has joined NIST as the new NanoFab Manager. Vincent has over 30 years of private industry experience in semiconductor and nanotechnology process … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is awarding grants totaling more than $24 million to three universities to provide cost-shared support for the … more

The U.S. Department of Commerce has presented 42 employees of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with Gold and Silver Medal Awards—the two highest honors from the … more

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a radical new method of focusing a stream of ions into a point as small as one nanometer (one billionth of a … more

Two materials scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have papers in a special list of the “11 best papers” published by the American Ceramics … more

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) bioengineer Greg Cooksey is equally talented behind the lens of a camera as he is engineering complex microfluidic devices for biology … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Columbia University have been named by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of the History of Chemistry as recipients of the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has received a total of 64 submissions for a competition to develop a new cryptographic “hash” algorithm, a tool that … more

The World Cup may be two years away, but soccer aficionados can get an early start at satisfying their yen for global competition when the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are decoding the mysterious mechanisms behind the high-temperature superconductors that industry hopes will find wide use in … more

NIST researcher Cynthia Howard Reed and guest researcher Lance Wallace measure nanoparticles emitted by common household appliances. The new experiments can measure 'ultrafine … more

Basic scheme of an optical tweezer-based sensor of biological particles. A microsphere covered with a specific antigen (such as a virus or other infectious agent) is trapped and pulled … more

Participatory, Web 2.0 Web Site to Focus on Nanomaterials Federal government and U.S. industry scientists are forging ahead with plans to establish an international online forum for collaboration … more

Federal government and U.S. industry scientists say they are forging ahead with plans for an international, online collaboration to speed up creation of critically needed nanotechnology standards, … more

Electroshock weapons - such as stun guns and other similar devices that temporarily incapacitate a person by delivering a high-voltage, low-current electric shock - have helped law enforcement … more

Gaithersburg, MD—A blue ribbon commission of safety and management experts issued a report today describing the adequacy of safety programs at the Commerce Department's National … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued its first reference standards for nanoscale particles targeted for the biomedical research community - literally "gold … more

Three staff members of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were honored last week by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for their work in the field of standards … more

Gregory Rutter, a visiting researcher at NIST’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is the winner of a prestigious student award from the AVS. The AVS is an international … more

A novel technique under development at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) uses a relatively inexpensive optical microscope to quickly and cheaply analyze nanoscale dimensions … more

Each year the Baldrige Program recruits experts from business, education organizations, health care providers, nonprofits and other groups to serve on the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm … more

William R. Ott, deputy director of the NIST Physics Laboratory, has been named as a recipient of the 2008 Presidential Rank Award. The awards recognize exceptional long-term accomplishments in … more

Buildings in the United States account for more than 40 percent of the nation's total energy consumption, and that is just one of their impacts on the environment. In a major statement on … more

Christmas tree flambé--These are the remains of two dry Christmas trees NIST researchers burned in an experiment. The room shown on the left had a sprinkler system; the one on the … more

Marrying a sensitive detector technology capable of distinguishing hundreds of different chemical compounds with a pattern-recognition module that mimics the way animals recognize odors, … more

Dr. Young Kuk, a visiting researcher in NIST’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is the latest recipient one of South Korea’s most prestigious prizes for … more

Buckypaper: SEM image demonstrates a pseudo 2-D network of carbon nanotubes deposited like paper fibers in a thin, sparse sheet. The nanotubes here have an average length 820 nm and make … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and JILA, a joint institute of NIST and the University of Colorado (CU) at Boulder, have made the first tunable … more

Katharine B. Gebbie, director of the Physics Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was inducted as a member of the 228th Class of Fellows of the American Academy … more

A new report describes tests carried out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the wireless environment in automotive manufacturing facilities. The measurements, carried … more

This smart chip on a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card holds two fingerprint biometrics, a unique number that identifies the individual within the PIV system, a PIN number that … more

Novel nanoparticles being tested at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have researchers seeing stars. In a recent paper,* NIST scientists used surface-enhanced Raman … more

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—Future buildings—especially tall structures—should be increasingly resistant to fire, more easily evacuated in emergencies, and safer overall thanks … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is supporting the re-launch of www.StandardsPortal.org, an online resource that facilitates international trade globally, with in-depth … more

Scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder), NIST and Temple University in Philadelphia … more

In a high-temperature blaze, how well does a fireproofing material shield a building’s important steel structures from heat? Answering this question has been surprisingly difficult, but … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Colorado School of Mines (CSM) have developed a prototype sensor that quickly detects very small amounts of hydrogen … more

Much like Pavlov conditioned his dog to salivate in anticipation of food when a bell rang, insects can be trained to perform certain behaviors when enticed with different smells. Researchers at the … more

Engineers long have known that great ideas can be lifted from Mother Nature, but a new paper* by researchers at Yale University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) takes … more

Future buildings—especially tall structures—should be increasingly resistant to fire, more easily evacuated in emergencies, and safer overall thanks to 23 major and far-reaching … more

Scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder), have applied their expertise in ultracold … more

Two physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been named finalists for the 2008 Service to America Medals, presented by the nonprofit Partnership for Public … more

The National Science Foundation has awarded the Joint Quantum Institute $12.5 million over five years to create and operate a Physics Frontier Center (PFC) at the University of Maryland (UMD) … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published version 1 of a standards profile to support government agencies as they implement Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). IPv6 is … more

Facilitating efforts to automate important computer security tasks, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has upgraded the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), a comprehensive … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting suggestions on areas of critical national and societal needs that could be addressed by transformative new technologies. The … more

For most of us, gold is only valuable if we possess it in large-sized pieces. However, the "bigger is better" rule isn't the case for those interested in exploiting gold's exceptional ability to … more

Starting in mid-October, teams of business, education, health care and nonprofit experts will visit 13 organizations as the final review stage for the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, … more

This Virtual Cybernetic Building Test Bed is used to test the automated fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) technology. The commercial building HVAC control equipment is linked to … more

Boulder, Colo. -- Acting upon several internal and external investigations and reports, including a recent safety audit conducted with the assistance of the Department of Energy (DOE), the National … more

GAITHERSBURG, MD — The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is extending the deadline for submitting proposals to its Technology Innovation … more

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Seoul National University (SNU) have learned how to tweak a new class of polymer-based semiconductors to better … more

Physicist David J. Wineland of NIST Boulder Laboratories in Colorado Credit: NIST View hi-resolution image Physicist David J. Wineland of the National Institute of Standards and … more

Senior leaders from the five organizations selected for the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, as well as representatives from past Award recipients, will share their best practices and … more

The Biometric Consortium Conference 2008, to be held in Tampa, Fla., Sept. 23-25, will focus on biometric technologies for homeland security, identity management, border crossing, electronic … more

From Sept. 22-25, 2008, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host a conference and accompanying workshops demonstrating the use of open standards to automate computer … more

Where can you find some of the latest insights in designing earthquake-resistant buildings joined together with current information on building codes? As part of its support for the National … more

The fall of the 47-story World Trade Center building 7 (WTC 7) in New York City late in the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001, was primarily due to fires, the National Institute of Standards and … more

Just as test pilots push planes to explore their limits, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are probing the newest microscope technology to further improve … more

More than 120 science, mathematics and engineering college students and recent college graduates were given a chance to ride the next wave in cutting-edge science as part of the 2008 Summer … more

BOULDER, Colo.—Physicist David J. Wineland of the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been awarded the 2007 National Medal of … more

Report and Recommendations for Improving Building Safety Released for Comment GAITHERSBURG, Md.—The fall of the 47-story World Trade Center building 7 (WTC 7) in New York City late in … more

The paper currently holding the top spot for most downloaded paper in the Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy is the densely titled “Experimental intensity and lineshape parameters of the … more

Information standards enable common activities. For instance, bring your laptop anywhere in the world and you will quickly and cheaply find a wireless Internet connection--due to the globally … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released for public review and comment a major revision to its security certification and accreditation (C&A) guidelines for … more

Sugar-frosting isn’t just for livening up boring bran flakes; it can also preserve important therapeutic proteins. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a collaborative center of the University of Maryland and NIST, have reported a new … more

*** Agency Will Hold Public Webcast on August 21 *** Gaithersburg, Md. -- The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will hold a media briefing and live … more

Boulder, Colo. — Confirming earlier assessments, new results from ultrasensitive medical tests and related dose analyses indicate that none of the 29 personnel tested to date for internal … more

Ruzena Bajcsy, an electrical engineering and computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has been chosen to serve on the primary private-sector policy advisory body of the … more

Three new experts have been tapped to serve on the Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (ACEHR) of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) by James Turner, deputy … more

The quintessential guide to evaluating the effectiveness of security controls applied to information systems and information security programs has been updated to reflect recent security advances. … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) will co-sponsor an international conference on “Accelerating … more

Las Vegas shows often are on the cutting edge. Following this tradition, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues at the National University … more

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers successfully demonstrated a prototype approach to maintain two-way communications with first responders as they make their way in … more

Thought experiment: a carbon dioxide molecule--think of a cheerleader's baton--comes slanting in at high speed over a dense liquid, strikes the surface and ricochets. How does it tumble? Fast … more

High food prices, concern over dwindling supplies of fossil fuels and the desire for clean, renewable energy have led many to seek ways to make ethanol out of cellulosic sources such as wood, hay … more

Physicists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder, have demonstrated a powerful new technique that reveals … more

BOULDER, Colo.—Physicists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder, have demonstrated a powerful … more

Gaithersburg, Md. – Responding to shortcomings highlighted by a June 9 spill of plutonium at its Boulder, Colo., laboratory, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

GAITHERSBURG, MD -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is extending the deadline of a solicitation for grant proposals for the construction of science … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting nominations of qualified individuals for its eight existing Federal Advisory Committees. Nominations for all committees will … more

Titanium, a protean element with applications from pigments to aerospace alloys, could get a new role as an environmentally friendly additive for automotive oil, thanks to work by materials … more

A new set of eight videos on a single DVD can help organizations large and small learn about the outstanding management practices and successful strategies of the five recipients of the 2007 … more

Data breaches are a recurring nightmare for IT managers responsible for securing not only their company’s confidential data, but possibly also sensitive information belonging to their … more

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a technique to measure the formation of clumps of proteins in protein-based pharmaceuticals. This first … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and three collaborating institutions are using a new laboratory model of the membrane surrounding neurons in the brain to … more

Adding just the right dash of nanoparticles to standard mixes of lubricants and refrigerants could yield the equivalent of an energy-saving chill pill for factories, hospitals, ships, and others … more

NIST is conducting an internal investigation into the causes of a June 9 incident in which a vial containing a 1/4 gram (1/100th ounce) of plutonium cracked, spilling the material. The … more

Blue Ribbon Panel to Review NIST Health and Safety, Preliminary Review Identifies Factors Contributing to Incident BOULDER, Colo. – According to new dose analyses and lifetime risk … more

A new publication released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on June 30 can help information system managers negotiate the often complex process of assessing security … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed two demonstration software packages that show how Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards can be used with Windows and … more

In recent years cell phones and PDAs—“Personal Digital Assistants”—have exploded in power, performance and features. They now often boast expanded memory, … more

NIST Lyman alpha neutron detector (LAND), shown with a U.S. dollar coin for scale. Credit: NIST View hi-resolution image A new ultrasensitive, high bandwidth neutron detector … more

The sun is about to undergo unremitting scrutiny. About six times each minute of every hour for at least five years, a soon-to-be launched NASA satellite will measure the sun's … more

Enlisting an army of plant viruses to their cause, materials researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have identified a small biomolecule that binds specifically to … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is seeking proposals for high-risk research projects to develop innovative technologies for inspecting, monitoring … more

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is seeking proposals for high-risk research projects to develop innovative … more

Statement from James M. Turner, Deputy Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology We take our responsibility for protecting our personnel's and the public's health and safety … more

BOULDER, Colo. – New results from sensitive medical tests indicate internal plutonium exposure in a small number of personnel at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

Materials scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a process to build complex, three-dimensional nanoscale structures of magnetic materials such as … more

WASHINGTON-Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today announced that 17 individuals have been selected to participate in the Commerce Science and Technology Fellowship (ComSci) Program. … more

Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today announced that 17 individuals have been selected to participate in the Commerce Science and Technology Fellowship (ComSci) Program. Established in 1964 … more

BOULDER, Colo. – Using detailed measurements made with the assistance of a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) team, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

In this photo montage of actual quantum images, two laser beams coming from the bright glare in the distance transmit images of a cat-like face at two slightly different frequencies … more

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) engineers recently released a two-disk DVD set that demonstrates how Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV), a technique in which powerful fans … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a five-chapter preview of the much-anticipated online Digital Library of Mathematical Functions (DLMF). In development for … more

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in cooperation with national standards organizations, have taken the lead in developing the first two standards for … more

Seeking to understand a new fuel cell material, a research team working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, has … more

Using an ultra-fast method of measuring how a transistor switches from the “off” to the “on” state, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have confirmed that the photoresists used in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing processes now under development are … more

Microscopic magnets (above left), designed and tested in a joint NIST/NIH project, might one day be injected into the body to add color and “smart tag” capability to … more

Microscopic magnets (above left), designed and tested in a joint NIST/NIH project, might one day be injected into the body to add color and “smart tag” capability to … more

Boulder, Colo. – Re-entering the sealed laboratory room where a small plutonium spill occurred on June 9, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) radiation safety experts … more

Boulder, Colo.-- Additional trace amounts of contamination have been found in the office and a nearby stairway used by a laboratory researcher originally exposed in an incident June 9 involving a … more

In this photo montage of actual quantum images, two laser beams coming from the bright glare in the distance transmit images of a cat-like face at two slightly different frequencies … more

James M. Turner, deputy director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has named three distinguished experts from industry and academia to serve on the Visiting Committee on … more

After a close examination of crude oil made from pig manure, chemists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are certain about a number of things. Most obviously, … more

Boulder, Colo.- On Monday afternoon, June 9, researchers in a laboratory room at the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) campus in Boulder, Colorado … more

Relax, even scientists can sometimes use help when making conversions and measurements with the modern metric system, the International System of Units (known as SI from the French “Le … more

Eighty-five organizations—the highest number of applicants since 1992—are in the running for the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest … more

New research* shows that while engineered nanomaterials can be transferred up the lowest levels of the food chain from single-cell organisms to higher multicelled ones, the amount transferred was … more

After seven years of work, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built a system that relies on the “noise” of jiggling electrons as a … more

To save lives, search and rescue robots crawling through the rubble of a collapsed building or surveying a chemical spill area must be capable of beaming back clear, easily interpretable images of … more

While the results may not rival the artistry of glassblowers in Europe and Latin America, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Cornell University have found … more

Materials researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a simplified, low-cost process for producing high-quality, water-soluble "quantum dots" for … more

A laser attenuator having a well-known and stable attenuation can extend the usefulness of an optical power meter for laser radiometry. The challenge of building attenuators for high-power laser … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks grant proposals for the construction of science research buildings from institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations. … more

If you love soccer but don’t want to wait until the next World Cup in 2010 to satisfy your appetite for the most popular game on Earth, the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

John Lehman, Chris Cromer and Xiaoyu Li of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have received a 2008 Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer from the Federal Laboratory … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking participants for its next Text Retrieval Conference—TREC 2008. TREC is an annual evaluation campaign that provides the … more

Information scientists announced an agreement last month on a “concept bank” programmers could use to build thinking machines that reason about complex problems at the frontiers … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a simpler and potentially lower-cost method for distributing strings of digits, or … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have shown for the first time that a single layer of molecular “salve” can significantly soothe the … more

The magnetic structure of the new iron-based superconductors was determined at the thermal triple-axis spectrometer at the NIST Center for Neutron Research. Physicists Jeff Lynn and Ying … more

The magnetic structure of the new iron-based superconductors was determined at the thermal triple-axis spectrometer at the NIST Center for Neutron Research. Physicists Jeff Lynn and Ying … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have reported* a new technique to sort batches of carbon nanotubes by length using high-speed centrifuges. Many potential … more

Scientists at the University of Konstanz (Germany) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated an ultrafast laser that offers a record combination of high speed, … more

A materials scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has deciphered the structure of a new class of materials that can store relatively large quantities of hydrogen … more

As part of a project to improve wireless communications for emergency responders, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have confirmed that underground … more

At the request of a worldwide Internet organization, a computer scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed an algorithm that may guide applicants in proposing … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) for bitter orange, long used in folk medicine and now increasingly used in herbal … more

Nanosoccer returns to the field later this month, when the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts for the second time the world’s most Lilliputian sport. Three … more

A research team working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has found an explanation for the extreme sensitivity to mechanical pressure or voltage of a special class of … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a new American version of the English language SI Brochure, the eighth edition of the international standard reference guide to … more

&The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering … more

David Wineland, physicist and fellow of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is a 2008 recipient of a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award, given annually by a private, nonprofit … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Max Planck Institute for Physics in Germany believe they can achieve a significant increase in the accuracy of one of … more

In what should be good news for integrated circuit manufacturers, recent studies by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have helped resolve two important questions about an … more

A novel, three-dimensional (3-D) screening method for analyzing interactions between cells and new biomaterials could cut initial search times by more than half, researchers from the National … more

The NIST Information Services Division received a 2007 Silver Maryland Quality Award on Monday, April 7, 2008 at the University of Maryland in College Park. The NIST division was one of three … more

On April 21, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at … more

Thomas Hicks won the 1904 Olympic Games marathon in St. Louis, Mo., with a little help from his friends—two doses of strychnine, raw eggs and a brandy chaser, administered during the … more

The NIST terahertz imaging system reveals slight temperature differences, as shown in this post-processed image. The color scale ranges from blue indicating 301 K or 28.75 degrees C, to … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a new device that creates nanodroplet “test tubes” for studying individual proteins … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has published detailed guidelines* for making essential … more

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Army Dugway (Utah) Proving Ground have developed reliable methods based on DNA analysis to assess the … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have combined two tiny but powerful NIST inventions on a single microchip, a cryogenic sensor and a microrefrigerator. The … more

In February 1998, Timothy Foecke, a metallurgist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), published a rather low-key “interagency report” that cast a new … more

The new Technology Innovation Program (TIP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology is launching a series of webcasts to inform interested parties about the new grants program … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the second public draft of NIST Special Publication 800-39, Managing Risk from Information Systems: An Organizational … more

Earthquakes cannot be prevented, but their impacts on life, property and the economy can and should be managed. That’s the challenge that Congress has given the National Earthquake … more

On Tuesday, April 8, 2008, NIST presented some of its novel technologies developed at the NIST Labs in the nanoelectronics, nanofabrication, and nanometrology technologies. Slides and videos of the … more

GAITHERSBURG, Md. – More than 200 entrepreneurs and business executives learned today how they can capitalize on cutting-edge nanotechnologies developed in the research facilities at the … more

A research team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland has succeeded in cooling atoms of a rare-earth element, erbium, to within two … more

For manufacturing engineers and linguists “interoperability” and “ontology” go together like horse and carriage—“you can’t have … more

On-line process tools, improved sensor calibration and analytical and data analysis methods are among the technological challenges facing the biomanufacturing industry over the next 10 years to … more

Michael D. Schroeder, a pioneer researcher in computer security, will be presented with the 2008 National Computer Systems Security Award by the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

Federal agencies have begun issuing a secure form of government-wide ID known as the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, mandated in 2004 by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 … more

Electronic commands passed from machine to machine over data networks increasingly drive today’s precisely timed and sequenced manufacturing production lines. However timing … more

A fingerprint identification technology for use in Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards that offers improved protection from identity theft meets the standardized accuracy criteria for … more

One of the key engineering challenges to building a clean, efficient, hydrogen-powered car is how to design the fuel tank. Storing enough raw hydrogen for a reasonable driving range would require … more

The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the agency's primary private-sector advisory group, has sent its 2007 Annual … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Joint Quantum Institute (NIST/University of Maryland) have developed a new method for creating pairs of entangled … more

On March 11, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Acting Director James Turner testified before the committees of the Senate and House on the President’s proposed FY 2009 … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have set the stage for building the “evolutionary link” between the microelectronics of today built from … more

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has voted for U.S. approval of a modified version of the proposed international standard known as Office … more

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) fire protection engineers turned an abandoned New York City (NYC) brick high-rise into a seven-story fire laboratory last month to better … more

Recent research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has demonstrated that thin films made of “metamaterials”—manmade composites engineered to … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland have developed a new optical method that can detect individual neutrons and record them over … more

An atomic clock that uses an aluminum atom to apply the logic of computers to the peculiarities of the quantum world now rivals the world’s most accurate clock, based on a single mercury … more

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking public comments on its proposed regulations (rule) for operating the Technology Innovation … more

Heart of the orthogonal tracking microscope system developed at NIST is this nanoparticle solution sample well etched in silicon. Careful orientation of the silicon crystal makes it … more

In response to the electronics industry’s rallying cry of “smaller and faster,” the next breakthroughs in the electronics size barrier are likely to come from … more

Ultracold atoms moving through a carefully designed arrangement of laser beams will jiggle slightly as they go, two NIST scientists have predicted.* If observed, this never-before-seen … more

Since the advent of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) in the 1930s, that instrument and its many and diverse descendents—including atomic force, scanning tunneling, confocal and … more

A new National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Web site offers easy access to reports of NIST fire investigations, summaries of research projects and videos of NIST fire research … more

In yet another twist on the strangeness of the nanoworld, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland-College Park have discovered that … more

Some 46 million people suffer from arthritis in the United States alone. The worst cases require painful surgeries to drill holes in and reinforce joints. Now researchers working at the National … more

A new report identifies and describes research and development priorities for the future of three critical, high-tech U.S. manufacturing areas—hydrogen energy technologies, … more

Using a system that can compare the travel times of two photons with sub-femtosecond precision, scientists at the Joint Quantum Institute (a partnership of the National Institute of Standards and … more

A new report published today identifies and describes research and development priorities for the future of three critical, high-tech U.S. manufacturing areas – hydrogen energy … more

Robert Celotta, Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), announced the selection of Lloyd J. Whitman to be the … more

Comparison Yields Best Results Yet in Tests for Change in 'Constants' of Nature BOULDER, Colo.- An atomic clock that uses an aluminum atom to apply the logic of computers to the peculiarities of … more

Business executives, entrepreneurs, investors and government researchers and development officials interested in commercializing recent research advances in nanoelectronics, nanofabrication and … more

Visitors to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Web site can view a video that portrays NIST’s construction of an encasement for the1507 Waldseemüller Map, … more

A popular chemical database distributed in printed form for 65 years by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is now available online. The NIST/TRC Thermodynamic Tables, … more

Miniature magnetic sensors made at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have won a spot on Technology Review’s annual list of 10 technologies “most likely … more

Buildings account for 40 percent of the energy consumed within the United States and a similar percentage of carbon dioxide emissions. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

Using an unusual spectroscopic technique, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have provided the most convincing evidence yet that current is flowing through a … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking public comments on a proposed new program to accredit testing laboratories that evaluate biometrics-based identification … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has submitted to Congress the annual report of activities under the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act, which authorizes the … more

NIST is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to quantify the dangers of improperly used gasoline-powered portable generators and to evaluate possible technical … more

Douglas Montgomery and Stephen Quinn, two computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have been named to this year’s “Federal … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has delivered a three-year plan for its programs to Congress, as required by the America COMPETES Act passed in August 2007. The plan … more

A new chair and vice chair have been elected to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT), the agency’s primary … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has produced a DVD of a presentation that Nobel laureate William Phillips, a physicist at NIST, gave about the science of cold temperatures … more

A next-generation atomic clock that tops previous records for accuracy in clocks based on neutral atoms has been demonstrated by physicists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of … more

Five years ago on Feb. 20, 2003, pyrotechnics lit during a concert at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., started a rapidly spreading fire that caused the deaths of 100 people. Within a … more

Chemists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been the first to measure significant amounts of copper incorporated into zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires during fabrication. … more

The same chemicals that keep food from sticking to our frying pans and stains from setting in our carpets are damaging the livers and impairing the immune systems of loggerhead turtles—an … more

Exhale on a cold winter day and you will see the water vapor coming out of your mouth. Light up your breath with a Nobel-Prize-related tool, and you could potentially detect trace amounts of over … more

A super-sensitive mini-sensor developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can detect nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in tiny samples of fluids flowing through a novel … more

A simple surface treatment technique demonstrated by a collaboration between researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Penn State and the University of Kentucky … more

Immunohistochemical detection of HER2 cancer biomarker with IgY antibody and quantum dots is demonstrated in these samples of breast cancer cells from a patient with normal HER2 … more

An interagency subcommittee of the White House's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) issued a draft document today that lists recommended standards to enable government agencies to … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a second draft of a proposed standards profile to support the implementation of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) by … more

Companies interested in participating in international advanced manufacturing research and development can learn about new collaboration opportunities offered by the Intelligent Manufacturing … more

A new Web site launched by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can help federal information systems managers maintain the security of their systems by providing a list of … more

On Feb. 1, 2008, the governments of the United States, Brazil and the European Union (EU)—the world’s major producers of biofuels—released an analysis of current … more

A new ASTM International standard for urban search and rescue robots and components tackles humble logistics problems that, left unsolved, could hamper the use of life-saving robots in major … more

One of the immediate applications of carbon nanotubes (CNT) is as an additive to polymers to create electrically conducting plastics—a relatively low CNT concentration can dramatically … more

A new NIST initiative is intended to develop tools for measuring the health, safety, and environmental impacts of nanomaterials. Shown here is a carbon nanotube on the hair of an ant's … more

Budget table Washington, D.C.— President George W. Bush’s fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget proposal submitted today to Congress for the Commerce Department’s National … more

©Shutterstock The governments of the United States, Brazil and the European Union (EU)—the world’s major producers of biofuels—today released an analysis … more

Establishing trust in Internet transactions is a mutual process between user and service provider. In bank transactions, for example, customers want to be sure that their browser is taking them to … more

Radio station WWVH in Hawaii, operated since 1948 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to broadcast time, frequency and other announcements, recently powered up innovative … more

A nonphotorealistic image from a computer simulation showing 2,025 rocks. Rocks with high stress values are colored solid and have their stress values painted on the surface. The remaining … more

Efforts to create a “hydrogen economy” to reduce U.S. oil imports will get a boost from a new laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that will … more

Blood coursing through vessels, lubricated cartilage sliding against joints, ink jets splashing on paper—living and nonliving things abound with fluids meeting solids. However important … more

Air-source heat pumps typically deliver 1 1/2 to three times more heating energy to a home than the electric energy they consume. This is possible because heat pumps move heat rather than convert … more

Quantum dots—tiny, intense, tunable sources of colorful light—are illuminating new opportunities in biomedical research, cryptography and other fields. But these semiconductor … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued its first reference standards for nanoscale particles targeted for the biomedical research community—literally … more

Representatives of standards making bodies, corporate officials and educators from around the world will meet Feb. 21-22, 2008, at the “Global Perspectives and Strategies for Education … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is sponsoring a one-day workshop on security standards for … more

For more than a century, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has partnered with industry, academia and government to build an advanced science and technology … more

Engineers and researchers designing and building new microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) can benefit from a new test method developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued its first reference standards for nanoscale particles targeted for the biomedical research community—literally … more

Enhancing trade between the United States and the nations of the European Union (EU) while helping ensure the safety and quality of goods sold in both markets is the goal of a collaborative … more

A new report* from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows that investment in measurement science has and will continue to have a dramatic effect on innovation, … more

Broadway stars have understudies. Now, an increasingly popular radioactive isotope has its own stand-in. Developed in part by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a novel technique for measuring the roughness of surfaces that is casting doubt on the accuracy of current … more