National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

April is an important month in the history of the metric system. On April 7, 1795, France formally adopted it. And on April 5, 1893, Thomas Mendenhall, director of the Office of Weights and Measures, declared the kilogram and meter to be the fundamental units of length and mass in the United States. The order still holds today, and the Office of Weights and Measures is now part of NIST. The metric system is a model of logic and consistency, but even it has its quirks. Why is the basic unit of mass the kilogram and not the gram? Why isn’t there a metric unit for rotation or angles? Learn more in our latest Taking Measure blog post: https://lnkd.in/eAgUxvMX

Join us in congratulating Ian Spielman on being named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Muck around and find out.   Domestic sludge is the muck collected at wastewater treatment plants. It can contain all kinds of contaminants, from antibiotics and pesticides to oils and heavy metals.   The sludge in this material was collected from a sewer plant that treats local or domestic waste in Denver, Colorado. NIST scientists freeze-dried it, ground it into a fine, homogenized powder, and analyzed it to create a standard reference material called NIST SRM 2781 Domestic Sludge.  Why does NIST have it in the first place? Science, obviously. Once sterilized, domestic sludge can be used as a soil fertilizer. But high concentrations of heavy metals, like lead and arsenic, in domestic sludge can also contaminate soil, potentially impacting the food chain. So, when scientists test their sterilized sludge samples for heavy metals, they need to make sure they’re getting accurate results.  Labs use the SRM for quality control to help make sure heavy metal concentrations fall within established standard levels set by the EPA.   #Standards #Measurements #AnalyticalChemistry #Sludge  

We are “berry” excited to announce our new reference material: RM 0401 – Jelly. We know the importance of preserving standards, so it is time to spread the news. Join us in raising a toast to our new jelly reference material.

Welcome to Round 3 of Materials Mayhem! We narrowed it down to our final four. You can vote for this round in the comments. The next bracket will take place next week!

NIST scientists have developed a new process for packaging photonic integrated circuits (PICs) — tiny chips that convey information using light instead of electricity — so they can survive and operate in some of the most extreme environments imaginable, from scorchingly hot industrial settings to ultracold vacuum chambers and the depths of outer space. The method, called hydroxide catalysis bonding (HCB), creates a bond between an optical fiber and a photonic chip. Although the bonding process currently requires several days to complete, engineers could dramatically shorten the time, making the technique suitable for large-scale manufacturing. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eb8GXHCT

Ever wonder how you measure the mass of really tiny objects? NIST researchers use an instrument called an electrostatic force balance to measure the mass of objects weighing between 50 micrograms and 20 milligrams. That’s the size of a grain of salt up to the size of a paper clip. The balance uses electrostatic forces to measure these masses. Scientists calculate these forces from electrical measurements done on the balance. These electrical measurements can be very stable over time and can reduce the uncertainty in the overall measurement. This is useful for getting accurate doses in pharmaceuticals and calibrating tiny force sensors. But for measuring small forces, the balance must be extremely sensitive. The balance picks up “noise” from environmental disturbances, such as the vibrations from vehicles on a nearby highway, but it seems to get the best data on snowy days when there are fewer people on the road. But don’t worry. NIST researchers account for all levels of “noise” through different methods, enabling them to still make accurate measurements. #Metrology #Measurements #Mass #Balance

Join us in congratulating Aaron Rowane on receiving the 2026 Early Career Award from the Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data (JCED). The JCED Early Career Award is presented annually to one outstanding early career scientist/engineer conducting experimental or computational research in thermophysical properties and phase equilibria. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ejemUF2y

Today’s issue demonstrates how forensic science advances through better measurements and standards. Our new publication and software for fingerprint analysis help forensic examiners measure print quality and more efficiently analyze their evidence. Meanwhile, recently introduced voluntary guidance for handling human remains reduces inconsistencies while improving their productive and ethical use for research, teaching and criminal investigations. Check out our topic page on forensic science to learn more about our work in this field. Happy spring to everyone!

Many of modern astronomy’s achievements can be traced back to relatively unknown women who painstakingly cataloged the stars in the early 1900s. Called the Harvard Computers (because they performed calculations), these women combed through thousands of photographic plates of stars and cataloged them. That’s like being given massive stacks of photo albums and having to manually find and identify every picture of a particular person. But more than 100 years later, the field of astronomy is where it is today in part because of the influence of these trailblazing women. Learn more about them – and how they inspired one NIST researcher – in our latest Taking Measure blog post: https://lnkd.in/e_HFEJGa #Astronomy #Supernova