rediKELous t1_j2dvt0h wrote on December 31, 2022 at 3:13 PM

I’m still not sure why helium balloons aren’t way more expensive. I imagine by 2030, the price will catch up to the element’s scarcity.

Chrontius t1_j2e3l60 wrote on December 31, 2022 at 4:10 PM

I sure fucking hope so. We're also going to need high-temperature superconductors to replace current MRI machines, which are going to become stranded assets when required liquid helium supplies dry up, which they will if we keep squandering the stuff.

fanglazy t1_j2e6816 wrote on December 31, 2022 at 4:28 PM

Today I leaned that helium is a non renewable resource typically found in natural gas deposits and is used for way more vital things than balloons.

https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/helium/about-helium#:~:text=Where%20does%20helium%20come%20from,0.3%20percent%20and%202.7%20percent).

Chrontius t1_j2e93d6 wrote on December 31, 2022 at 4:48 PM

Got it in one. It's also a pretty vital consumable in most every high-performance rocket; it's literally the only pressurant suitable for liquid hydrogen that isn't hydrogen itself.