NIST Tech Beat | February 2025

NIST Report to Congress Provides Update on Champlain Towers South Investigation

Investigators have completed all experimental work on the physical evidence from Champlain Towers South’s structural elements. Read more from the investigation update.

5 Concepts Can Help You Understand Quantum Mechanics and Technology — Without Math!

A NIST physicist is passionate about flipping the script on quantum and making it accessible to all. Learn more about quantum with Tara Fortier.

What’s Coming for U.S. Manufacturing in 2025

Experts at NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership offer their predictions about what to expect as technology continues to push manufacturing forward in 2025. Read more about what's coming next for manufacturers.

The Insulation That Melts in Your Walls — and Could Reduce Your Energy Costs

For humans, insulation goes back to the first woolly mammoth pelts that kept us warm. But major innovations are still occurring in this prehistoric invention. Read more about insulation research at NIST.

A Physicist and Steampunk Enthusiast Explores Thermodynamics in the Quantum World

Nicole Yunger Halpern’s research has led to some surprising findings that run counter to our everyday experiences. Read more about her award-winning work in physics.

High-Flying Science: How and Why We Sent a Refrigerator Halfway to Space

NIST-developed tools can take pictures of gamma rays from black holes and neutron stars. Learn why researchers launched one of these delicate tools in a high-altitude balloon.

Video Update on the Champlain Towers South Investigation

In a new NIST video on YouTube, the leaders of the Champlain Towers South investigation explain how the work completed so far is helping us understand what caused the collapse and how we could make buildings across the U.S. safer.