NIST on Modern Marvels!

The Modern Marvels: Measure It episode will air next week, Tuesday December 23rd at 8 pm ET.

“How do you weigh a whale? We go to Shamu’s Tank at Sea World to find out. How does your speedometer work? Off to GM’s test track for the answer. We’ll look at the five most common areas of measurement in our everyday lives: distance, time, speed, weight, and temperature. We visit the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to find out where common measurements come from and how standards for those measurements are set. Next, we’ll go inside Stanley Tools where we’ll see how they guarantee every measuring tape gives the right distance every time. And while we’re measuring time, we’ll learn why a $5 kid’s watch is more accurate than a $10,000 luxury brand.”