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Kathryn Miller sits reading a book at a small table in the NIST library.

From Bookmobiles to Big Data, How Library Scientists Make Information Accessible to All

March 20, 2024

During Women’s History Month, a NIST librarian looks back at the librarian who brought us the bookmobile — back when it brought books by horse and buggy.

Close-up shows shiny metal patches with areas of green corrosion and open holes.

Houston, We Have the Engine Remnants: How My Lab Pieced Together a Forgotten Part of an Apollo Rocket

March 13, 2024

Like many people, I had dreams of flying into space as an astronaut when I was a child. That interest in aerospace and space exploration has continued

Historical photo shows Henry Moseley sitting at a desk reading a thick book, with other open books on the desk.

Henry Moseley: A Patriotic Scientist Who Changed the Periodic Table — and Then Went Off to War

February 7, 2024

At a young age, physicist Henry Moseley changed the periodic table of the elements — before dying in a bloody World War I battle.

Historical photo shows Grace Hopper in uniform standing next to a rack of computer equipment.

Fellowship and Fearlessness: Carrying On the Legacy of Rear Admiral Grace Hopper

December 6, 2023

On her birthday, we look at the life of Rear Admiral Grace Hopper — a trailblazing woman in computing — and how we can continue to carry on her legacy.

A large white balloon with a small box attached to it waits inside a cinderblock building with a rolltop door.

Up, Up and Away: How NIST Research Helped Improve Weather Balloon Forecasting

September 27, 2023

A key component of the weather balloon — which helps meteorologists forecast the weather every day — was developed at NIST in the 1930s.

A neon sign that reads Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas is lit up in neon in front of a sunset scene.

When Neon Was New: How NIST Researchers Helped America Discover the Iconic Neon Sign

April 26, 2023

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

From the Space Shuttle to Structural Engineering, NIST’s Tuskegee Airmen Left a Lasting Legacy in Service and Science

February 8, 2023

Four of these men are now known to have continued their careers at NBS, though colleagues at the time didn’t know about their co-workers’ historic past.

Sun and shade play over green and rocky mountains and terraces outlined with stone walls.

Historic Measures: How Standards and Technology Enabled the Inca Empire to Thrive

September 21, 2022

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a reflection on the achievements of the Inca of the South American Andes.

Jeffrey Fong poses smiling in front of a railing overlooking a concrete dam.

My Journey From Designing Dams to Helping Structures Live Their Longest Lives

August 4, 2022

Jeffrey Fong writes about how his personal drive for safe engineering design led him to work at NIST.

Six men stand in front of an airplane in a hangar, with equipment displayed on carts in front of them.

From Waxlight to Moonlight: 21st Century Standard Candles at NIST

July 6, 2022

Before I tell you about the high-altitude NASA aircraft we use and the lunar observatory we are building, let’s talk about the earliest standard for measuring

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