ASK A RESEARCHER: “There has been a lot of talk about the world running out of helium,” says professor.
Published
Do yousometimes celebrate birthdays and special events with floating balloons filledwith helium?
You shouldknow better, Forskerforum magazine wrote in 2013 (link in Norwegian).
Why?Because helium is more important for research, and because the reserves may berunning out.
Many yearshave passed, and balloons continue to float in the air.
When willsomeone take real responsibility?
We needhelium
“There hasbeen a lot of talk about the world running out of helium,” Professor Reidar G.Trønnes says.
This is thereason why several municipalities in Norway say no to helium balloons on ConstitutionDay, May 17th: less plastic waste and less use of helium.
That is thereason why several municipalities say no tohelium balloons on 17 May: less plastic waste and less use of helium.
“It would befoolish if it ran out, because the helium is necessary,” says Trønnes.
Heliumcools down magnets in MRI machines that examine people for cancer and otherdiseases.
It is alsoused to make super-fast trains – such as the Shinkansen train in Japan.
Relieson human effort
“However,the good news is that we're not running out of helium,” Trønnes says.
The Earth'sinterior is absolutely enormous, and this is where the helium comes from.
“It willcontinue to seep out through rocks and cracks forever,” he says.
The dramalies in the fact that we keep inventing more and more technology that requireshelium, like the high-speed trains.
“Itultimately falls to us humans to figure out how to efficiently extractit,” he says.
Helium is elusive
Today, weextract helium where we extract oil and natural gas.
However,this method does not yield enough helium to satisfy our needs.
“We need toresearch better ways to capture it. Otherwise, it just continues to leak out,” Trønnessays.
Once releasedinto the atmosphere, it’s impossible to retrieve it.
“Helium isthe second lightest gas after hydrogen,” he says.
That's whya helium balloon rises to the ceiling if you let it go.
Donald Duckvoice
Inhalinghelium can temporarily give you a squeaky, high-pitched Donald Duck voice.
The lightmolecules in helium make the sound waves from your voice travel faster throughthe air.
“If somuch helium is released into the world, could we all end up with Donald Duckvoices?”
“Heliumthat escapes from the Earth becomes very diluted in the air,” the researchersays.
And just ashelium balloons eventually float away into space, so does free helium.
No toballoon shame
Have younoticed how helium balloons gradually deflate until they lie on the ground?
This happensbecause helium slowly permeates the balloon’s rubber material.
“It wantsout. In the end, you’re left with just an empty balloon,” Trønnes says.
“Do youthink we should stop buying helium balloons?”
“It’simportant not to be wasteful,” he says.
Heconsiders the costs of helium gas and rubber more than the aesthetics. You canstill have a great party without balloons.
“Butfortunately, we will always have helium. As long as it doesn't become tooexpensive to capture,” he says.
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Translatedby Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Read the Norwegian version of thisarticle on ung.forskning.no
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