The levels of contaminants in our food supply are, generally, decreasing, but we still need to make sure our food is safe. And measuring tiny things (and big things) is what we do best here at NIST ..read more

To unlock the full potential of genetic testing and related medical research, we need a diverse, global human genome, known as the pangenome ..read more

Jeanne Quimby's kids are the reason she came up with her team’s idea for how to detect cybersecurity events on our U.S. critical communication infrastructure ..read more

While it’s now largely faded into history, NIST researchers helped America discover the wonders of the neon sign ..read more

If we’re going to secure a sustainable future on the only planet we have to live on, we must transition to a circular economy, where we keep material in use indefinitely ..read more

Ahead of World Quantum Day this week, we asked Andrew Wilson, who leads NIST’s Quantum Physics Division, to explain just what exactly quantum science is and why it matters ..read more

It’s National Bake Week here in the U.S. If you’re celebrating in your own kitchen, you may find yourself needing some aluminum foil. Whether you need a sheet of foil to keep that apple pie warm or you’re making something in an aluminum foil baking pan, foil has lots of uses in a baker’s kitchen. Here at NIST, we do a different kind of baking, but we often use the same foil you use in your own kitchen. You won’t see our creations on The Great British Baking Show, and you definitely don’t want to eat them. We often use foil in vacuum systems. Vacuums are spaces devoid of matter, in which air ..read more

When you buy a medication at a pharmacy, you know what’s in it. When someone buys street drugs, they have no idea what they’re really getting ..read more

The most energy-efficient device in the world is your brain, and NIST researchers are using the brain as an inspiration to create the next generation of computer circuits ..read more

Here at NIST, we are committed to making sure you get what you pay for when buying something based on weight or measure, such as food or fuel ..read more