National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The drug overdose epidemic continues to exact an enormous toll on the American public. Earlier this year, NIST hosted a workshop to better understand the analytical and data challenges faced by experts working to address that epidemic.   The workshop brought together experts from a range of fields, including:   ▪️ Public health and harm reduction ▪️ Law enforcement and first responders ▪️ Customs and border interdiction ▪️ Forensic scientists ▪️ Emergency medicine practitioners ▪️ Medical examiners and coroners ▪️ Public policy experts   Now, NIST has published a workshop report that highlights the need for increased data sharing across these communities and identifies potential next steps toward making that happen. Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/grxDBVRs   #PublicHealth #HarmReduction #LawEnforcement #ForensicScience

Extend your outlook. Check out our latest roundup of position openings at NIST: Supervisory Physical Scientist, Director of the Office of International and Academic Affairs: https://lnkd.in/eVY-4M-6 Biologist: https://lnkd.in/eBjpeEzr Administrative Specialist: https://lnkd.in/eXQezQVZ Biologist: https://lnkd.in/eEr42QDx Physical Scientist: https://lnkd.in/evTNiiaV Browse our full listing of current openings at NIST: https://lnkd.in/d6KBevq   #NISTjob #JobOpening #JobOpportunities

Meet Jennifer Helgeson, a research economist at NIST who studies community resilience.   In a major disaster like a flood or an earthquake, it’s important not just to survive the storm, but to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. That’s called community resilience. “It's about bouncing back and moving forward,” says Jennifer.   The ability to bounce back depends on many choices made by individuals, organizations and governments — sometimes many years before a disaster occurs. The options for disaster preparedness often have complicated trade-offs that make it hard to weigh the costs and benefits. For example, prohibiting people from building houses in a low-lying area could reduce the risk of flooding, but it might also make housing more expensive in the short term. As an economist, Jennifer finds ways to help communities understand the trade-offs and make informed decisions.    Jennifer says one important factor that is easy to overlook is social values: “Not every community is the same; some communities might be much more risk averse or much more risk tolerant.” One of her research goals is to include social values in the decisions community leaders make by finding ways to measure and communicate those values.   Jennifer is also helping communities plan for future climate-driven changes that might be slow-moving, like sea level rise, but equally devastating over time as more acute disaster events. Because as the climate changes, so will environmental hazards. This October is community planning month, and we’re excited to highlight Jennifer’s work, which provides tools and research to help communities be more resilient.   Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/gB-he9mq   #planningmonth

Wilhelm Weber – born 220 years ago today – was the first to quantitatively describe the relationships among electricity, magnetism and light.   That’s important because electromagnetic induction, which is the foundation for electric generators and transformers, is based on a clear understanding of the relationship between electricity and magnetism.    The measurement of the weber, which is written as Wb, is often accomplished with a device called a fluxmeter. (Of course, this is not to be confused with the flux capacitor which enables time travel in the movie “Back to the Future!”)   Learn more about Weber and the unit of measure named for him in our latest Taking Measure blog post: https://lnkd.in/e_nF-T3i   #Measurement #Metrology #ScienceAndTechnology

Step inside this REALM that’s full of measurement possibilities. This room is called the Robotically Enhanced Antenna Laboratory for Metrology, aka REALM.   Here, NIST researchers use NIST-pioneered robotic antenna measurement systems called the Large Antenna Positioning Systems (LAPS) and the Configurable Robotic MilliMeter-wave Antenna (CROMMA) that essentially are really accurate radio-frequency holographic cameras for doing antenna measurements.   The lab is based at our campus in Boulder, Colorado, and serves three key areas: 📡 Standards development and antenna calibration services 📡 Engagement with stakeholders in industry and government agencies 📡 R&D   Why is this work important? Antennas are everywhere in modern day life, from cellphone towers to satellites in space. The measurements done on them can be traced back to NIST through our reference antennas and measurement methodologies. Organizations, such as aerospace manufacturers, use them to verify that the antennas they design or are producing are working as intended.   Learn more about this work: https://lnkd.in/gFx3WFCM   #Electronics #Robotics #Antenna #Measurement #Metrology

What time is it? You can just glance at your watch or phone for the answer. Cellphones, computers and smartwatches provide highly accurate time and appear to set themselves.   But there’s more to the story. Powering the time on your devices is a global network of atomic clocks that are constantly compared and synced to each other.   Timekeeping has evolved into a global symphony that plays 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, literally never missing a beat. This symphony of time may be one of humanity’s most important and beautiful achievements.   On a new NIST website launched to mark the 75th anniversary of the atomic clock, learn how atomic clocks help us all tell time: https://lnkd.in/dGURWXMN   #Physics #Time #Measurement #Precision

If your mobile device is stolen or lost, someone who obtains it could gain access to your sensitive information (i.e., email, photos, messages). Just in case, use these tips:    💡 Apply multi-factor authentication, which can be any combination of the following:    Something you know – Password, pin, etc.  Something you have – Authenticator app, hardware token, etc.  Something you are – Biometrics (e.g., fingerprint or face recognition)    💡 Choose a password with a minimum length of 8 characters.     A common misconception is that complexity is the key to having a strong password. But the more complex it is, the more difficult it can be to remember. Instead, choose something memorable that is at least 8 characters in length to prevent against brute-force attacks.    #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth #Cybersecurity #MobileDevices #ITsecurity 

Design your own journey. Check out our latest roundup of position openings at NIST:    - Electronics Technician (Hawai'i): https://lnkd.in/gBr2u7-P  - Research Chemist: https://lnkd.in/ggdHEJjh  - Interdisciplinary General Engineer/Architect: https://lnkd.in/g_iBWnNK  - Supervisory Administrative Specialist: https://lnkd.in/gEzfwCfX  - Biologist: https://lnkd.in/giKNUca4  - Supervisory Facility Operations Specialist: https://lnkd.in/ghBFrNkf  - Financial Analyst: https://lnkd.in/gtgYpDGH    Browse our full listing of current openings at NIST: https://lnkd.in/d6KBevq 

Scientists often face a challenge in explaining their highly technical research to the general public.    NIST chemical engineer Sam Schaffter, who studies nucleic acid computing and RNA-based strand displacement, made a go at it using the arts and crafts supplies he found lying around his and several colleagues’ homes.      The box is an E. coli cell, one of the planet’s most common types of bacteria. The pipe cleaners are strands of genetic material: The red ones are RNA, and the dark brown one on the shoebox’s bottom is DNA. The letters represent nucleotides, the building blocks of genetic codes, and the blue fuzzy balls are proteins.    Schaffter’s research aims to insert synthesized DNA into existing cells, reprogramming them to carry out new functions. The approach could one day be used to design cells to fight diseases inside our bodies.    While he’s making great progress on his science, he’s not so sure he’s got his shoebox right yet. Maybe he should use popsicle sticks or googly eyes. All (constructive and scientifically accurate) proposals welcome.      #Cellular #Engineering #Biology #DNA #RNA 

Heat release rate is the single most important variable when it comes to assessing fire hazards.     Two NIST-led factors in the 1980s transformed heat release rate measurement and became the basis for fire safety design and commercial product standards around the world:    🔥 We discovered that oxygen consumption is a valid predictor of heat release rate.    🔥 We invented the cone calorimeter, a device capable of determining the peak heat release rate with ease.    We’re looking at the ways fire safety has changed (with NIST help) during the past 50 years. Explore the evolution: https://lnkd.in/e-qeffZW   #Fire #FireSafety #Firefighting