Yep. Seriously. Not making this up.
Brad mentioned this to me this morning as we were watching an episode of Mythbusters where they used about 50 tanks of helium to fill a "flying raft," which I put it quotes because it didn't quite end up as such.
I knew helium was element #2 because I am a geek and because with my mom being a science teacher, I feared for my life if I came home with a poor grade in the subject. I knew it was a gas that could make you sound like Donald Duck. Until this afternoon, however, I did not know that it was considered a non-renewable resource. It comes most from the decay of uranium and thorium, which, as you may expect, takes a while.
I also didn't know how much helium was used for that had nothing to do with buoyancy, flight, or anything of the like. And, they've put an estimate on it: Our supply may very well run out in the next EIGHT YEARS. This means the Mythbusters will be off the air by 2016, and I'm sad.
You can find out more here.
The things you learn when you get up before noon on a Sunday. Shocking!
How Life Has Changed
6 years ago
2 comments:
Interesting - I did not know this either.
Maybe if you stopped using it for crank calls the rest of the world would have their fair share for research into greater mysteries of the unknown
:)
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