Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated that ordinary blue light can be used to significantly improve the ability to see objects engulfed by large, non-smoky natural gas fires—like those used in laboratory fire studies and fire-resistance standards testing. The NIST blue-light imaging method can be a useful tool for obtaining visual […]
Nanoscale Electronic Motion Sensor Could Be Used As A DNA Sequencer
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and collaborators have proposed a design for the first DNA sequencer based on an electronic nanosensor that can detect tiny motions as small as a single atom. The proposed device — a type of capacitor, which stores electric charge — is a tiny ribbon of […]
Quantum Refrigerator Offers Extreme Cooling and Convenience
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a solid-state refrigerator that uses quantum physics in micro- and nanostructures to cool a much larger object to extremely low temperatures. What’s more, the prototype NIST refrigerator, which measures a few inches in outer dimensions, enables researchers to place any suitable object in […]