3 ms·

The simpler thing to do seems to regulate helium use in birthday balloons.. not a hard choice between life saving diagnostics and large numerically shaped ballo

The simpler thing to do seems to regulate helium use in birthday balloons.. not a hard choice between life saving diagnostics and large numerically shaped balloons..

lettergram 3y ago
[flagged]
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  In fact, helium is such a mundane resource the US has been getting rid of its national helium reserves[1]. And before anyone says "god damn conservatives", this has been going on across the aisle and is ongoing as we speak. Getting rid of helium is a truly bipartisan agenda. All of this to say: The claims of helium's value have been greatly exaggerated. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Helium_Reserve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Helium_Reserve
  - HarryHirsch 3y ago
    We all thought it was a bad idea, shutting down the Helium Reserve.
    - thsksbd 3y ago
      Who's we?
      - HarryHirsch 3y ago
        Us chemists and physicists - helium is a nonrenewable resource, and the sudden supply shock encouraged wasteful behaviour.
        lettergram 3y ago
        But one we have a lot of access to lol > Fortunately for us, helium also gets into the natural gas that oil and gas drillers extract from the ground for use as fuel [source: University of Pittsburgh]. That gives us a supply that we can use for blowing up balloons, as well as for a wide variety of other industrial processes, ranging from arc welding to MRIs to manufacturing silicon chips for computers. There has to be a certain amount of helium in the natural gas — at least 0.3 percent by volume – to justify all the trouble of separating it from natural gas. https://science.howstuffworks.com/question12.htm https://science.howstuffworks.com/question12.htm
        thsksbd 3y ago
        Those chemists and physicists who don't know most He is just dumped without any care in CH4 production.
macshome 3y ago
Party balloons are normally filled with what’s known as “balloon gas”. It’s a mix of air and helium that’s not suitable for use in medical equipment.
- philipkglass 3y ago
  Balloon gas is 97% helium, so from a helium consumption standpoint it's about the same either way: https://www.boc.com.au/shop/en/au/balloon-gas https://www.boc.com.au/shop/en/au/balloon-gas
  - h0l0cube 3y ago
    I had to do some digging to find more about this. > "Balloon Grade" Helium represents a slightly impure Helium. While there is no scientific definition of this quality, it is often accepted that the purity of "Balloon Grade" Helium is around 99% https://www.quantum-technology.com/recover/balloon-grade-helium-recovery.html https://www.quantum-technology.com/recover/balloon-grade-hel... Sounds high, but not pure enough for MRI applications, and it isn't currently economical to reliquefy without shipping it to a processor. > Manufacturers have stated that this wasted helium is considered a ‘recycled product’ as it would have been lost to the environment had it not been captured and re-purposed. If the balloon market demand declined, manufacturers would have to re-evaluate other markets and consider the possibilities of re-liquefying it. Re-liquefying is currently considered uneconomical from the locations of where the filling application take place. https://www.partysafe.eu/balloon-and-gas-helium https://www.partysafe.eu/balloon-and-gas-helium Also it's small, but not insignificant, sector of the market: > "A reasonable estimate is that latex 'party' balloons and their foil equivalent account for between 5% and 7% of the total helium usage." https://www.theguardian.com/science/shortcuts/2012/dec/11/should-we-ban-helium-balloons https://www.theguardian.com/science/shortcuts/2012/dec/11/sh...
thsksbd 3y ago
Why? I like party baloons. My MRI, not so much.
spacebacon 3y ago
I have 3 foil party balloons still inflated after 2 months and 3 days. I left them by the window as heat from the sun provides kinetic energy to the helium atoms to improve the balloons longevity. These three balloons have provided me with enough joy to keep me inside staring at them all day not outside at risk of injury which ultimately leads to an unnecessary MRI.
- saagarjha 3y ago
  > heat from the sun provides kinetic energy to the helium atoms to improve the balloons longevity How does that work?
  - johndunne 3y ago
    Gas pressure is the atoms/molecules bouncing off something else. If the atoms have more energy, then they impart more energy into whatever they bounce off (inside of the balloon), which essentially means higher pressure i.e. the balloon appears inflated again. Until the sun goes away and the OP's party dies for a time. :)
    - saagarjha 3y ago
      How does that increase longevity, thought? Seems like it just inflates the balloon more?
- shermantanktop 3y ago
  When those balloons finally fail, sounds like it’s just a matter of time before you end up in the noisy donut once again.
  - spacebacon 3y ago
    Everything we know is matter and time. No one is immune.
    - shermantanktop 3y ago
kragen 3y ago
why don't you fund the life-saving diagnostics enough that they can outbid birthday party planners? i'm not convinced birthday party planners are rich enough anywhere in the world that this is an actual problem

The simpler thing to do seems to regulate helium use in birthday balloons.. not a hard choice between life saving diagnostics and large numerically shaped balloons..

lettergram 3y ago

[flagged]

Dalewyn 3y ago
In fact, helium is such a mundane resource the US has been getting rid of its national helium reserves[1]. And before anyone says "god damn conservatives", this has been going on across the aisle and is ongoing as we speak. Getting rid of helium is a truly bipartisan agenda. All of this to say: The claims of helium's value have been greatly exaggerated. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Helium_Reserve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Helium_Reserve
- HarryHirsch 3y ago
  We all thought it was a bad idea, shutting down the Helium Reserve.
  - thsksbd 3y ago
    Who's we?
    - HarryHirsch 3y ago
      Us chemists and physicists - helium is a nonrenewable resource, and the sudden supply shock encouraged wasteful behaviour.
      - lettergram 3y ago
        But one we have a lot of access to lol > Fortunately for us, helium also gets into the natural gas that oil and gas drillers extract from the ground for use as fuel [source: University of Pittsburgh]. That gives us a supply that we can use for blowing up balloons, as well as for a wide variety of other industrial processes, ranging from arc welding to MRIs to manufacturing silicon chips for computers. There has to be a certain amount of helium in the natural gas — at least 0.3 percent by volume – to justify all the trouble of separating it from natural gas. https://science.howstuffworks.com/question12.htm https://science.howstuffworks.com/question12.htm
      - thsksbd 3y ago
        Those chemists and physicists who don't know most He is just dumped without any care in CH4 production.

macshome 3y ago

Party balloons are normally filled with what’s known as “balloon gas”. It’s a mix of air and helium that’s not suitable for use in medical equipment.

philipkglass 3y ago
Balloon gas is 97% helium, so from a helium consumption standpoint it's about the same either way: https://www.boc.com.au/shop/en/au/balloon-gas https://www.boc.com.au/shop/en/au/balloon-gas
- h0l0cube 3y ago
  I had to do some digging to find more about this. > "Balloon Grade" Helium represents a slightly impure Helium. While there is no scientific definition of this quality, it is often accepted that the purity of "Balloon Grade" Helium is around 99% https://www.quantum-technology.com/recover/balloon-grade-helium-recovery.html https://www.quantum-technology.com/recover/balloon-grade-hel... Sounds high, but not pure enough for MRI applications, and it isn't currently economical to reliquefy without shipping it to a processor. > Manufacturers have stated that this wasted helium is considered a ‘recycled product’ as it would have been lost to the environment had it not been captured and re-purposed. If the balloon market demand declined, manufacturers would have to re-evaluate other markets and consider the possibilities of re-liquefying it. Re-liquefying is currently considered uneconomical from the locations of where the filling application take place. https://www.partysafe.eu/balloon-and-gas-helium https://www.partysafe.eu/balloon-and-gas-helium Also it's small, but not insignificant, sector of the market: > "A reasonable estimate is that latex 'party' balloons and their foil equivalent account for between 5% and 7% of the total helium usage." https://www.theguardian.com/science/shortcuts/2012/dec/11/should-we-ban-helium-balloons https://www.theguardian.com/science/shortcuts/2012/dec/11/sh...

thsksbd 3y ago

Why? I like party baloons. My MRI, not so much.

spacebacon 3y ago

I have 3 foil party balloons still inflated after 2 months and 3 days. I left them by the window as heat from the sun provides kinetic energy to the helium atoms to improve the balloons longevity. These three balloons have provided me with enough joy to keep me inside staring at them all day not outside at risk of injury which ultimately leads to an unnecessary MRI.

saagarjha 3y ago
> heat from the sun provides kinetic energy to the helium atoms to improve the balloons longevity How does that work?
- johndunne 3y ago
  Gas pressure is the atoms/molecules bouncing off something else. If the atoms have more energy, then they impart more energy into whatever they bounce off (inside of the balloon), which essentially means higher pressure i.e. the balloon appears inflated again. Until the sun goes away and the OP's party dies for a time. :)
  - saagarjha 3y ago
    How does that increase longevity, thought? Seems like it just inflates the balloon more?
shermantanktop 3y ago
When those balloons finally fail, sounds like it’s just a matter of time before you end up in the noisy donut once again.
- spacebacon 3y ago
  Everything we know is matter and time. No one is immune.
  - shermantanktop 3y ago

kragen 3y ago

why don't you fund the life-saving diagnostics enough that they can outbid birthday party planners? i'm not convinced birthday party planners are rich enough anywhere in the world that this is an actual problem