Patrick Heizer (@thecounterpoint): "The NIST is a national treasure; we need more of everything they're working on. In addition to the stone wall test, they: -produced the standard peanut butter -actively manage and study a free-roaming deer herd on campus -invented a "quantum logic clock" that is 37x more acc…"

The NIST is a national treasure; we need more of everything they're working on.

In addition to the stone wall test, they:

-produced the standard peanut butter

-actively manage and study a free-roaming deer herd on campus

-invented a "quantum logic clock" that is 37x more accurate than the old international standard

-are already working on post-quantum cryptography

-have a clone of Issac Newton's apple on campus

-operate one of the largest neutron research labs in the world

-helped redefine the kilogram in 2019

Plus dozens and dozens of other projects.

Just learned that I work less than a mile from the longest-running stone weathering experiment: NIST's stone wall test.

Built in 1948, it includes 2352 samples of stone from 47 US states and 16 countries, and uses two types of mortar.

The mortars used are a 1:3 lime mortar with a high calcium hydrate and a 1:0.4:3 portland cement, whiting, and sand mortar.

Apr 2

10:40 AM