A Scientific Christmas Tale

’Twas the night before Christmas; NIST staff had gone home.
Our director was left to reflect all alone.
She thought about NIST and the breadth of its work,
from AI to fire to even the quark.

Our impact, she knew, was broad and widespread,
and triumphs of measurement danced in her head.
Examples abounded of great innovation
spurred by NIST work for the good of the nation.

When people pump gas or buy food at the store,
NIST helps to ensure they get what they paid for.
And when they’re online and making transactions,
NIST-backed encryption means safer interactions.

There are frameworks that help with cyber hygiene.
And something we call the million-pound deadweight machine.
What else to her adoring eyes should appear,
but a Lego watt balance and a weathering sphere.

With increasing precision, we’re known for our clocks,
which measure the time with atomic ticktocks.
Their uses are many; they’re worth all the hype.
So she whistled, and shouted, and called them by type:

“Now, CHIP SCALE! Now, FOUNTAINS! Now HYDROGEN MASERS!
On, BEAM CLOCKS! On, OPTICAL! On, many bright LASERS!
You help us keep time! You keep us on track!
You even are used to give bio feedback!”

For measuring light, there’s our frequency comb.
We also lay claim to a net-zero home.
We’ve helped create training for drones others fly,
and samples for testing that have been freeze-dried.

And now, when it’s needed, we’re working on chips.
We’re advancing the ways you can scan fingertips.
And when business needs help with a factory task,
our MEP Centers will answer the ask.

If you’re looking to work at the nanotech scale,
our Nanofab tools may be your holy grail.
But if toys that test broadband are more your speed,
Boulder’s NBIT is just what you need.

Neutrons — how they measure! We can look deep inside!
From smokestacks to vaccines, their uses are wide.
We also do work exploring the genome,
and helped with the mapping of the Y chromosome.

The sensors we make measure things out in space.
We crafted the box where the Charters are placed.
Our SRM warehouse remains quite extensive,
and yes, we’re aware the peanut butter’s expensive.

We’ve found ways to measure GHG emissions,
and also indoor air quality conditions.
Our phantoms are how imaging tools are assessed,
and we help create standards for bulletproof vests.

If it’s data you need, then give us a look.
Our resources include a chem-focused WebBook.
From REFPROP to functions to the NVD,
we update our datasets pretty constantly.

She sat at her desk, to the staff she gave praise.
“Look at all you accomplished. I’m ever amazed.”
She finished her email, leaned back in delight —
“HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!”

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