Abandoning One of its Founding Functions, NIST Will No Longer Calibrate Mercury Thermometers
It's the end of a long and fruitful era at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Beginning March 1, America's source for instrument and unit calibration will no longer offer calibration services for mercury thermometers, a service it has provided since its creation as the standard for all standards back in 1901. The mercury thermometer is not a victim of the digital age, as one might think, but of a larger effort within the U.S. government to eliminate mercury thermometers altogether. You know, because it's a neurotoxin and probably shouldn't be tacked to the wall outside the back door. Related Articles Mercury Rising... From WildfiresNational Institute of Standards and Technology Tests Spray-On Transistors, Finds Them PromisingThe ISS's New Atomic Clock Will be the Most Accurate Clock in Space, Possibly the UniverseTagsScience, Clay Dillow, energy, environment, mercury, national institute of standards and technology, nist, thermometersOf course, mercury doesn't make the journey from...
