The world is running out of helium — again
4/6/202613 min
Lots of people count on helium. From MRI machines and semiconductor manufacturing to pressurizing rockets and detecting leaks, helium is used globally for much more than party balloons. So when there’s a shortage, like right now, the effect is far-reaching. But before the current shortage started, there was already a finite supply on Earth. So, today on Short Wave, we revisit our episode on the history of helium and how the world uses it today.
If you liked this episode, check out our episode on aluminum's strange journey from precious metal to beer can.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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Regina Barber· Host0:19
Hey, Short Wavers, Regina Barber here with an episode on helium. The US is the largest supplier of the world's helium, which is used in, yes, party balloons, but it's also used in semiconductor manufacturing and in MRI machines. But helium is in the news this week for another reason. There's a shortage of it, again. [upbeat music] The second-largest supplier of helium is Qatar, which has recently been hit by missiles from Iran, and so the country isn't producing or selling helium at the moment. On top of that, there are the helium tanks sitting in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway in the Middle East where a huge amount of the world's global shipping takes place. With the current conflict, much of that shipping traffic is closed, and goods are staying put, including helium, which will eventually leak out of the tanks they're in if they're not shipped in time. So we decided, let's revisit an episode with former host Maddie Sofia and science correspondent Jeff Brumfiel. They get into the history of helium, including its discovery and what it would mean if we ever truly run out of it. You're listening to Short Wave, the science podcast from NPR.
Unknown speaker1:29
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