https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from National Institute of Standards and Technology The time had come to open the envelope, but Stephan Schlamminger, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), wasn't sure he wanted to know the secret number that lay inside. For the past 10 years, Schlamminger had spent most of his working hours trying to measure a single quantity, known as the universal gravitational constant, which determines the strength of gravity everywhere in the universe. The secret number would allow Schlamminger to unscramble his data and get his answer. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-mystery-gravitational-constant.html Astronomy Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:10:01 EDT news695576162 Computer chips that cram billions of electronic devices into a few square inches have powered the digital economy and transformed the world. Scientists may be on the cusp of launching a similar technological revolution—this time using light. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-wavelength-lasers-tiny-circuits.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:40:13 EDT news695473441 Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new way to package photonic integrated circuits—tiny chips that convey information using light instead of electricity—so they can survive and operate in extreme environments, from scorchingly hot industrial settings to ultracold vacuum chambers and the depths of outer space. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-photonic-chip-packaging-extreme-environments.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694109881 A research team affiliated with UNIST has made a significant discovery explaining why liver cancers associated with obesity and metabolic disorders tend to be more aggressive and less responsive to conventional treatments. The study reveals that a specific signaling pathway involving endotrophin—a protein secreted during liver fibrosis—and the receptor protein CD44 promotes tumor malignancy and drug resistance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-obesity-liver-cancer-aggressive-resistant.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:10:02 EDT news693042722 Results and health assessments from gut microbiome home-testing kits vary whether they are produced by the same or different manufacturers. The findings on testing kits from seven providers, published in Communications Biology, highlight the need for caution when interpreting or acting on test results, according to the authors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-home-gut-health-yield-contradictory.html Gastroenterology Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:10:02 EST news691341005 Scientists have made leaps and bounds in bending atoms to their will, making them into everything from ultraprecise clocks to bits of quantum data. Translating these quantum technologies from obedient atoms to unruly molecules could offer greater possibilities. Molecules can rotate and vibrate. That makes molecules more sensitive to certain changes in the environment, like temperature. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-physicists-unruly-molecules-quantum-party.html General Physics Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:10:03 EST news685288929 Ask someone on Earth for the time and they can give you an exact answer, thanks to our planet's intricate timekeeping system, built with atomic clocks, GPS satellites and high-speed telecommunications networks. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-mars-physicists.html Astronomy Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:40:31 EST news683818792 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a report identifying strategies for developing a more efficient, sustainable and resilient U.S. metals processing infrastructure, where metals are used and reused more efficiently throughout the economy. The report highlights key challenges that must be addressed to achieve this goal, including a lack of robust standards for recycled content and supply chain vulnerabilities for critical materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-sustainable-metals-infrastructure-nist-highlights.html Business Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:48:20 EST news682865282 Noise is annoying, whether you're trying to sleep or exploit the laws of quantum physics. Although noise from environmental disturbances will always be with us, a team including scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) may have found a new way of dealing with it at the microscopic scales where quantum physics reigns. Addressing this noise could make possible the best sensors ever made, with applications ranging from health care to mineral exploration. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-quantum-noise-halfway.html Quantum Physics Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:59:04 EDT news676727942 In the wake of COVID-19 and widespread wildfires, demand skyrocketed for air cleaners, machines that could remove potentially harmful particles from the air in a home. Manufacturers responded by producing a wider variety of air cleaner devices designed for single rooms. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-air-cleaners-products.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:47:57 EDT news676036072 Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new technology for measuring how radiation damages DNA molecules. This novel technique, which passes DNA through tiny openings called nanopores, detects radiation damage much faster and more accurately than existing methods. It could lead to improved radiation therapy for cancer and more personalized care for individuals during radiological emergencies. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-nanopore-technique-dna-cancer-therapy.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:50:01 EDT news675006040 Researchers can use a metric called the particle number concentration (PNC) to calculate the number of particles in a sample, such as the number of marbles in a jar. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-formula-accuracy-particle-diverse-samples.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 21 Aug 2025 01:57:34 EDT news674960249 It's the little things that matter most, as the saying goes, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has got their back. NIST's newly finalized lightweight cryptography standard provides a defense from cyberattacks for even the smallest of networked electronic devices. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-lightweight-cryptography-standard-small-devices.html Security Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:13:47 EDT news674309625 Cannabis has gained increased use in the United States, outpacing alcohol as Americans' daily recreational drug of choice. Nearly 20% of cannabis users have admitted to driving after using the drug. However, unlike for alcohol, reliable roadside tests for cannabis don't exist. Even blood tests can't determine when a person used cannabis, leaving law enforcement without a way to determine a person's recent use, much less how intoxicated they are. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-cannabis-edibles.html Addiction Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:19:04 EDT news672578341 In an effort to foster progress in cancer research, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is releasing detailed and comprehensive data about the entire genetic content of a pancreatic cancer cell. Scientists can use it to research tumors, improve cancer diagnostic tests, and develop new cancer treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-trove-genetic-spur-cancer.html Oncology & Cancer Wed, 16 Jul 2025 05:00:03 EDT news671780600 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a video update and press release on its study of Hurricane Maria's impacts on Puerto Rico. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-preliminary-hurricane-maria.html Environment Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:20:01 EDT news671800321 There's a new record holder for the most accurate clock in the world. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have improved their atomic clock based on a trapped aluminum ion. Part of the latest wave of optical atomic clocks, it can perform timekeeping with 19 decimal places of accuracy. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-world-precise-clock-decimal-accuracy.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:17:26 EDT news671721440 Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a new and faster method for detecting and measuring the radioactivity of minuscule amounts of radioactive material. The innovative technique, known as cryogenic decay energy spectrometry (DES), could have far-reaching impacts, from improving cancer treatments to ensuring the safety of nuclear waste cleanup. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-individual-radioactive-decays-enables-faster.html General Physics Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:21:43 EDT news671210499 Some of the most innovative and useful inventions have been inspired by nature. Take the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan, whose aerodynamic design is modeled after the kingfisher bird. Or Velcro, which a Swiss engineer invented after observing that the burrs that stick to a dog's fur have tiny hooks in them. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-impact-resistant-material-mimics-mantis.html Nanomaterials Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:14:04 EDT news669993241 Randomness is incredibly useful. People often draw straws, throw dice or flip coins to make fair choices. Random numbers can enable auditors to make completely unbiased selections. Randomness is also key in security; if a password or code is an unguessable string of numbers, it's harder to crack. Many of our cryptographic systems today use random number generators to produce secure keys. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-quantum-mechanics-random-demand.html Quantum Physics Wed, 11 Jun 2025 11:00:11 EDT news668766840 Clocks on Earth are ticking a bit more regularly thanks to NIST-F4, a new atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) campus in Boulder, Colorado. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-atomic-fountain-clock-elite-group.html General Physics Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:25:09 EDT news665065499 In a physics first, a team including scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has created a way to make beams of neutrons travel in curves. These Airy beams (named for English scientist George Airy), which the team created using a custom-built device, could enhance neutrons' ability to reveal useful information about materials ranging from pharmaceuticals to perfumes to pesticides—in part because the beams can bend around obstacles. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-neutron-benefits-straight-industry.html General Physics Thu, 17 Apr 2025 14:37:04 EDT news664119422 Andrew Iams saw something strange while looking through his electron microscope. He was examining a sliver of a new aluminum alloy at the atomic scale, searching for the key to its strength, when he noticed that the atoms were arranged in an extremely unusual pattern. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-04-rare-crystal-strength-3d-metal.html Engineering Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:43:45 EDT news663259417 Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a new thermometer using atoms boosted to such high energy levels that they are a thousand times larger than normal. By monitoring how these giant "Rydberg" atoms interact with heat in their environment, researchers can measure temperature with remarkable accuracy. The thermometer's sensitivity could improve temperature measurements in fields ranging from quantum research to industrial manufacturing. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-quantum-thermometer-giant-rydberg-atoms.html Quantum Physics Thu, 23 Jan 2025 12:42:04 EST news656858522 In a finding with implications for one of the most promising cutting-edge medical treatments, researchers evaluated several measurement techniques commonly used in gene therapy. The study determined that one of the most popular techniques was "problematic" and requires further development and standardization. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-highlights-standardized-methods-gene-therapy.html Genetics Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:38:32 EST news655389507 The protective clothing worn by wildland firefighters often contains PFAS, according to a new study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The study also found PFAS in hoods and gloves worn by firefighters who respond to building fires. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-pfas-firefighter-gloves-hoods-wildland.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 17 Dec 2024 10:27:04 EST news653653619 Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a way to use sound to detect when lithium-ion batteries are about to catch fire. The NIST team included Wai Cheong "Andy" Tam and Anthony Putorti. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-ai-lithium-battery.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 14 Nov 2024 13:51:29 EST news650814665 When we think about the climate crisis, we tend to think big—it's a global problem that requires global solutions. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-qa-nanotechnology-climate.html Environment Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:42:35 EDT news648214946 Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new laser-based technique that could dramatically improve our ability to analyze a variety of materials and gases, including greenhouse gases. This new method, called "free-form dual-comb spectroscopy," offers a faster, more flexible and more sensitive way to analyze substances in the air and other materials. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-smart-laser-technology-greenhouse-gases.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 09 Oct 2024 12:32:04 EDT news647695921 Armored with safety glasses, hearing protection, and a fire-retardant lab coat, fire researcher Emma Veley carefully cradled a frying pan of raw bacon into a laboratory surrounded by wires and sensors. Mounted on the ceiling above, 12 smoke detectors waited patiently in a neat row. Veley closed the door behind her, placed the pan on a hot plate, and turned up the heat. Watching her through a large window in the next room, Amy Mensch started a timer and monitored the computer readouts that would show exactly when each alarm would "smell the bacon." https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-alarms-beep-bacon.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:01:04 EDT news645897661