NIST Tech Beat | September 2024

Major Leap for Nuclear Clock Paves Way for Ultraprecise Timekeeping

Nuclear clocks would measure time based on changes inside an atom's nucleus, making them less sensitive to external disturbances and potentially more accurate than atomic clocks. Learn more about NIST's research on nuclear clocks.

NIST Provides Update on Champlain Towers South Investigation

Work continues to determine the cause of the 2021 tragedy and to develop science-based recommendations to improve building safety. Read more from the latest update.

New Smoke Alarms Are Better at Detecting Fires but Still Beep for Bacon

NIST research in a kitchen fire laboratory shows that updated smoke detectors still produce nuisance alarms during cooking. Learn more about NIST's smoke alarm research.

Keepers of the Right Answer: Why Measurements at NIST Are Important for the Nation and the World

Practically everything you use in your everyday life works because of measurement science. Learn more about metrology at NIST.

Now Live: Living Cells Can Be Seen With Infrared Light

The new technique enables researchers to measure the mass of biomolecules such as proteins in a cell, potentially speeding up advances in cell therapy and drug development. Read more about IR imaging of biomolecules.

U.S. AI Safety Institute Signs Agreements Regarding AI Safety Research, Testing and Evaluation With Anthropic and OpenAI

These first-of-their-kind agreements between the U.S. government and industry will help advance safe and trustworthy AI innovation for all. Read more about these AI agreements.

Curiosity to Career: Encouraging Students to Pursue STEM Education

A NIST researcher is volunteering to educate young students about life as a scientist — and encourage kids to envision a career for themselves in STEM. Read more about Trey Diulus and his work.

Have you ever had a smoke alarm go off while you're cooking? Nuisance alarms are more than just annoying. They can be dangerous if they cause people to deactivate their alarms. Learn about NIST research on smoke alarms in our new video on YouTube.