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Earth's Helium supplies to run out...

So I was just watching the Daily Show with John Stewart and they had a feature on there about Helium running out... I thought it was a piss take until I Google'd it.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-the-world-is-running-out-of-helium-2059357.html

It makes me sad in 20-30 years we wont be able to pierce a hole in a party balloon and talk funny :emo:
There's tons of Helium on the Moon, one would hope that in 20-30 years time we would have at least gotten THAT far into the solar system.

Helium will be one of the first resources to go, it will not be the last. There are probably, however, alternatives that we can use in lieu of most of it's applications, so it's not the most important resource that we're overexploiting and not recycling.
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 2
Avatar for Beneb
Beneb
10
Hm. Something should be done, for sure, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I'm sure substitutes could be found for crucial technology such as MRI scanners.
Reply 3
Avatar for Bunkd
Bunkd
1
Meh, we'll have fusion reactors by then (hopefully).
Reply 4
Avatar for Manitude
Manitude
20
People had better stop doing that thing where they release thousands of balloons into the air - that is probably why we're running out.
Bunkd
Meh, we'll have fusion reactors by then (hopefully).


We need Helium-3 for the reactor designs that are being tested at the mo - and it's in considerably shorter supply than more common Helium isotopes . . . :indiff:

As for synthesising it, it can be done, but it's apparently economically non-viable.
(edited 13 years ago)
Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe so, although there is not a huge amount on Earth, we shouldn't run out of it! We can obtain helium from natural gas so if the helium runs out then our supply of natural gas will also have been exhausted and that will be more of an issue for the world I suspect.
(edited 13 years ago)
Beginning of the end.......

I'm hoping that alternatives as suggested above will come available, especially since it affects important technology such as MRI scans and it is needed in industry as well.

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