National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Americans spend about $233 billion per year on residential energy, and an estimated 10% to 15% of that energy is lost to improper air sealing and insufficient insulation. NIST is helping to address this nearly $25 billion annual loss by measuring the thermal resistance of building insulation materials as a calibration service for insulation manufacturers and to create standard reference insulation materials. Builders, suppliers and third-party calibration laboratories use the NIST calibration services and standard reference materials to accurately characterize the thermal properties of their insulation products. NIST is also helping develop next-generation insulation materials so that new buildings can be designed to reduce energy usage and consumer costs. Learn more about one new type of insulation in this blog post: https://lnkd.in/eczdfxfh

You may have heard that quantum computers could solve currently unsolvable problems, discover new drugs and chemicals, and break our computer security. But what exactly is a quantum computer? And how can quantum physics help us do these things? By controlling matter and energy at the tiniest and coldest scales, scientists are building a new kind of machine that could do things no present-day computer can. Click the link to learn more: https://bit.ly/4rS0ucv

Fast-spreading viruses require researchers and clinical labs to speed up their response time. In this lab, we're headed toward a future in which a patient can get tested quickly to see their level of antibodies for a variety of viruses. Researchers here developed a procedure to count how many neutralizing antibodies (which bind to pathogens and block their entry into a host cell) a person can get from a vaccine or an infection. The procedure used a technique called flow cytometry, and it proved to be comparable to traditional cell imaging techniques. That means researchers around the globe can use either method and compare their work with other scientists directly.

A NIST-run software library generates digital fingerprints of software using an algorithm known as a cryptographic hash. Because they work like fingerprints, you can use them to quickly identify known content on a computer. This is done without violating any copyrights or accessing proprietary information. Law enforcement uses this software library to quickly eliminate routine files – such as clip art, videos, and standard computer files – so they can focus their investigations on potential evidence. Learn more in our latest Taking Measure blog post: https://lnkd.in/eeZpNARn #Software #Cybersecurity

We’re now accepting applications for the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program! Join us this coming summer and gain valuable, hands-on experience in the labs of one of the world’s leading research organizations. Apply for SURF by January 26th: https://www.nist.gov/surf

For more than a century, NIST radio stations have made the precise time available for free to everyone in the United States. Today, the NIST time broadcast serves as a dependable time reference independent of GPS. From TV networks to massive data centers, applications requiring precise time synchronization benefit from this reliability, including commercially available network time servers that use the WWVH signal for synchronization with computers and equipment across the United States.

We've had a great year, and it's all thanks to you. Now, let's wrap up 2025.

One of NIST researcher Sierra Miller’s favorite ways to explain science is with…strawberries. She guides people through an experiment that involves extracting DNA from a strawberry. Sierra has done this for audiences ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. It’s a great way to teach some basic molecular biology to everyone.     Sierra values helping people—especially children who may pursue a career in science—learn more about her field.  Learn about Sierra’s outreach efforts in our latest Taking Measure blog post: https://lnkd.in/eTaWArNw  #MolecularBiology #GenomeEditing 

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