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You wouldn't be surprised to learn that a laboratory run by the U.S. Department of Commerce is working on more precise methods to measure stuff.

However, you might not expect it to be at the cutting edge of the mind-bending world of quantum physics. But on Tuesday, David Wineland became the fourth employee at the National Institute for Standards and Technology, a federal lab, to win a Nobel since 1997. Wineland learned he will share the Nobel Prize in physics with Frenchman Serge Haroche for work that's both esoteric and practical.

David Wineland is the American half of the scientific duo celebrating the award of the Nobel Prize in Physics today.

Wineland and French scientist Serge Haroche developed new ways for scientists to observe individual quantum particles without damaging them. This may not sound so impressive, but the work opens a world of possibilities— including the development of a quantum computer and super-precise clock.

But who needs a better clock? Don't we have pretty good ones already?

The U.S. government filed a lawsuit against Wells Fargo & Co., today, saying the bank was reckless when it issued federally guaranteed mortgages.

Bloomberg reports:

Thousands of Coptic Christians marched through central Cairo on Tuesday to demand justice for the more than two dozen Copts who were killed a year ago when army units moved in to stop their protest.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel flew to Greece today. It was her first visit since the eurozone debt crisis began. For Merkel, the six-hour trip was a goodwill gesture toward a country that she has long criticized. There to greet her were thousands of Greeks protesting a woman they associate with pain and disrespect.

Joanna Kakissis reports from Athens.

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Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a landmark case about race and college admissions. In 2008, a white student named Abigail Fisher sued the University of Texas in Austin. Ms. Fisher claimed she was denied admission to UT because of her race.

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Of course, Nobel Prize winners get about $1.2 million and the winners of the physics Nobel will split that. At a news conference today in Boulder, Colorado, Dave Wineland said he has no idea what he will do with the money. As Boulder's Daily Camera newspaper reported, his colleague, also a Nobel laureate, suggested that Wineland might upgrade his wardrobe. Wineland was wearing a fleece jacket and a polo shirt.

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For six decades, the DJ and entertainer Jimmy Savile was a fixture on British radio and television. His charity work brought him a knighthood and friends in high places, including the late Princess Diana. But now, nearly a year after Savile's death, a number of women claim he sexually assaulted them when they were teenagers.

Vicki Barker reports from London.

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