National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

With snowfall reported across much of the country this week, it feels fitting to share this bit of NIST history from the archives. Here's Harold Boyne from NIST’s Electromagnetic Fields Division (left), back in 1979, explaining to a Denver TV reporter how microwave sensors help measure snowpack. These sensors gave us a better idea of spring and summer water runoff for irrigation, and also helped improve avalanche hazard models.

Do you know what time it is…on Mars? Each Martian day is 40 minutes longer than Earth. But even though the days are longer, NIST physicists recently determined that time on Mars ticks a little faster than on Earth – 477 millionths of a second faster, on average, per day. That’s less time than it takes to blink, but understanding time on Mars is necessary for future space exploration. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eHWTZKCk

As the holiday season draws near, NIST wants to remind you to be sure to water your Christmas tree so that your festivities don’t go up in flames.

Happy Thanksgiving. We are thankful for you!

Whether you’re taking a plane, train or automobile this holiday season, our standards are here to keep you safer while you’re on the move.  For example, in the 1930s, our researchers developed the blind landing system for airplanes, which helps planes land in fog, clouds or limited daylight.  We’ve also tested seat belts for safety and defined the iconic shade of yellow for U.S. school buses.  Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gbUYjbxt 

Things aren't always hard. Scientists are looking into using 3D printing techniques for soft materials, too. The result could be printed artificial organs, but there is a long way to go before that can happen. What ends up as a final product depends on the variables relating to the printing process itself, such as the material's temperature at any given time and flow rate as it comes out of the printer's extruder. The situation only gets more complicated for soft materials because fluid-based objects are often printed while inside of a yield-stress fluid – a fluid that acts like a solid at rest but flows like a liquid when forced (such as mayonnaise or toothpaste). Those details are a little squishy right now, which is why NIST researchers in this lab space are painstakingly making measurements during the printing process to build up knowledge on the subject. #3Dprinting #Biomaterials #ArtificialOrgans #Biomedicine 

NIST is supporting the U.S. construction industry in ways big and small. On the scale of structural beams and columns, NIST engineers came up with five new ways to connect precast concrete pieces for strong, resilient buildings. On the scale of atoms, NIST researchers are learning how to purify iron from our nation’s existing supply of iron ore by using abundant natural gas, helping us regrow our domestic steelmaking industry. In the realm of standards, NIST does foundational research that informs the development of building codes. Find out more about NIST’s work in making buildings more resilient and how we are helping industry make maximum use of the atoms and molecules in our nation’s reserves for a robust economy. For a historical perspective, learn how NIST's science and engineering skills have helped buildings and structures — including some famous ones — survive the elements and the passage of time.

Metals don’t always have to be throwaway materials, but recycling them has its challenges. A new NIST report identifies key strategies for developing a more sustainable and resilient metals processing infrastructure – where metals are used and reused more efficiently throughout the economy. These strategies include:  ▪️ Advancing measurement science for sustainable metals manufacturing  ▪️ Developing the technical basis to support standards development  ▪️ Enhancing data and modeling tools  ▪️ Promoting workforce development and education  ▪️ Convening stakeholders Learn more about the report:  https://lnkd.in/eF93Q2X2 #Metals #Manufacturing #Sustainability #MetalsProcessing #Standards 

If you’ve flown in recent years, you’re probably familiar with the airport security experience of entering a booth, raising your hands above your head, and having a machine check your body. That machine is called a millimeter wave scanner. You may have done this and never given it much thought, but NIST researcher Jack Glover sure has. Glover is a physics expert who works to ensure the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can test those machines effectively, keeping everyone safer in the skies.  If your holiday plans include air travel, our science will keep you safer on your journey.  Learn more in our latest Taking Measure blog post: https://lnkd.in/e2h4mb97 #Physics 

Machine learning is now supercharging everything from facial recognition to chatbots. But companies need workers trained in this field to keep developing new tech.  For the past 10 years, the Machine Learning for Materials Research Bootcamp, a partnership between NIST and the University of Maryland, has helped researchers and students develop their machine learning skills.  Materials science engineers frequently need to create new algorithms or modify existing ones to use machine learning for the unique problems in their field. The annual summer bootcamp program involves four days of intensive, hands-on training to do this. Students receive datasets and materials that they can continue using when they return to work or school.  The program supports NIST’s goal of furthering American economic competitiveness, as students often incorporate their experience into their companies’ research and development efforts. “One company took a script that we taught and started selling it as a product. So that’s an immediate impact we had,” said co-organizer and NIST researcher A. Gilad Kusne.   Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eBdKWsze