2005 Sponsor:

Advances In Science And Technology – Their Impact On Metrology

2005 NCSLI Workshop & Symposium Washington, DC August 7-11, 2005 Washington Hilton & Towers

Advances in Science and Technology continue at an ever increasing rate, especially in the fields of Medicine, Nano-technology, Biology, and Space Sciences. These advances impact the metrology community in many ways from requiring the support of new standards and parameters, to providing state of the art quantum standards, to computerizing and automating measurement systems.

The 2005 NCSLI Workshop & Symposium, to be held in Washington, DC, will provide a forum to discuss the impact of these advances have had on metrology, as well as other related issues. Please join us as we reflect on how far and fast metrology has progressed over the past quarter of a century and to discuss its future needs and directions.

Some basic examples illustrate the advances in Science and Technology that have shaped our current metrology practices: In DC Voltage, many metrologists started their career using saturated cells capable of maintaining the volt at 1 ppm. They then switched to commercially available solid-state Zener standards which could maintain the volt at 0.3 ppm. Today calibration laboratories have access to portable Josephson Junction array technology with uncertainties better than 0.05 ppm. This represents a twenty fold increase in capability! In the area of mass measurements, the balances used twenty-five years ago were a double pan design with a sensitivity of 4.0 micrograms. Today, you can purchased electronic balances with 0.1 microgram resolution, an improvement of over forty times.

One challenge for the metrology community is to develop standards and calibration techniques to support these advances in science and technology. Both calibration laboratories and National Metrology Institutes are finding it increasingly difficult to not only maintain all of their existing standards and capabilities, but they must expand their capabilities to include a larger dynamic range, lower uncertainties, and improve their efficiency. In addition, they must also develop, implement, and maintain brand new capabilities that did not exist only a few years ago.

In order to meet these challenges, the 2005 NCSLI Workshop & Symposium will again sponsor much needed training sessions for metrologists and managers, hold workshops covering current quality, management, and international issues, and have technical sessions discussing the latest advances in standards and calibration procedures. In addition, many NCSLI working committees will meet to discuss issues of mutual interest, including intrinsic standards, ISO standards, Small Business needs, intercomparisons, national measurement requirements, etc. You can participate in the activities by submitting an abstract and paper, viewing the latest advances in commercial instruments and standards, and discussing your ideas with peers from around the world.

The 2005 NCSLI Workshop and Symposium in Washington, DC provides a forum to glimpse into the future and share your thoughts with fellow metrologists. Please join us as we work to ensure that the metrology community meets the challenges presented by Advances in Science and Technology.