Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT: 2618-2622 (Jan 13 - 17 2014) Weekly Comics Discussion Thread
Mlle Germain:
--- Quote from: Mr_Rose on 13 Jan 2014, 07:18 ---
--- Quote from: ankhtahr on 13 Jan 2014, 04:05 ---
--- Quote from: bhtooefr on 13 Jan 2014, 03:20 ---
--- Quote from: Barmymoo on 13 Jan 2014, 01:34 ---People, don't use helium for cheap laughs at parties. It's a finite resource with a lot of seriously useful uses and when we run out we are fucked.
--- End quote ---
It actually is possible to manufacture helium, although currently it's extremely expensive relative to extracting existing helium.
--- End quote ---
Nuclear fusion, or what are you referring to?
--- End quote ---
Fission is a lot cheaper and easier, plus it occurs naturally on Earth. The uranium decay chains for example, generally produces several α-particles before it settles on a stable isotope of lead, all of which could theoretically be collected.
--- End quote ---
That is where all our helium comes from, actually. From the natural radioactivity in the earh. And that is why it is practically a limited recource. Of course the decay of uranium produces new alpha particles all the time, but the process is very slow. It can't keep up with how fast we blast helium into the atmosphere (and then into space) right now. In fact most physics institutes and the like have (almost, like 1% loss) closed helium circles, but for example hospitals, which also need helium to cool the superconducting magnets in the MRI machines, often don't.
I haven't heard of a process available to us with current technology to produce helium, other than getting some from nuclear reactors, which only produce very small amounts.
So one really shouldn't waste helium. It cannot be replaced with anything else in many areas of science/medicine, specifically those working at ultra-low temperatures.
Edit on the topic of inhaling various gases: There is something way more entertaining than inhaling helium: Inhaling sulphur hexafluoride. However, this is also way more dangerous and should NOT EVER be attempted at home. Sulphur hexafluoride is heavier than air and thus makes your voice really deep - it sounds awesome. My first experimental physics professor did it in the lecture, but afterwards he had to do a handstand for a while to make the gas come back out of his lungs in order not to impair his lung functions - since it's heavier than air, it won't come out again otherwise and that's what makes it dangerous.
bhtooefr:
Really, helium being inert has caused it to be used places where hydrogen would make much more sense.
kyomi:
I am disappointed there is no "Purple monkey dishwasher" option in the poll this week :(
HauntingPoem:
GO bench Girl!
GarandMarine:
So are we breaking out the hashtags and T-shirts for Team Bench Girl yet?
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version