All engine running.

Absolutely genius.

Welcome.

Welcome.

This is the show where we bring you science.

What that essentially means is...

Discovery is the questions.

Research.

Technology.

Unbelievable.

Without further ado, this is the Naked Scientists.

Hello, welcome to the Naked Scientist podcast, the program that brings you the biggest breakthroughs and talks to the major movers and shakers in the worlds of science, technology and medicine.

I'm Chris Smith and today we're going behind the scenes at the National Physical Laboratory, NPL, as it celebrates 125 years at the forefront of science.

Music celebrates 125 years at the forefront of science. The National Physical Laboratory, or NPL, was founded in Teddington in southwest London in 1900,

which means that this year marks its

125th birthday. It's a huge milestone for MPL, which is the UK's National Measurement Standards

Laboratory and also the guardian of the physical standards that dictate modern British industry.

The world's first atomic clock was built there in 1955,

and today it's pioneering work in quantum technology as well as artificial intelligence

are helping to drive the UK's scientific renaissance. But why was it set up in the first place?

Here's J.T. Janssen, who's chief scientist and international director at MPL.

If you want to trade with a foreign country and you want to sell them something, they need to know

...