EEbeat

The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced yesterday that, starting on March 1, 2011, it will no longer calibrate mercury thermometers, a service it has provided since it opened in 1901. Ending the service is part of a larger effort, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others, to phase out use of mercury thermometers; mercury is known to be a potent neurotoxin. For more details, visit http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/tech-beat/tb20110202.cfm#thermometers. — Richard Comerford