Should probably leave it alone and focus on living without helium. Much like oil, we shouldn't continue developing systems that are dependant on non-renewable resources in my opinion. I suppose...
Should probably leave it alone and focus on living without helium.
Much like oil, we shouldn't continue developing systems that are dependant on non-renewable resources in my opinion.
I suppose the argument could be made that it's worth gambling on better tech leading to better energy innovations in the future. For example, we may be in a better position to develop oil alternatives now than we were many years ago, and we may not have gotten to this point without using oil like we have. But helium in particular is dicey since it's lighter than air. It really just doesn't want to be on this planet.
I get where you're coming from with the whole 'leave it alone' stance on helium, and the parallel with oil is true as it is not renewable. But helium's a bit of a different beast, right? It's not...
I get where you're coming from with the whole 'leave it alone' stance on helium, and the parallel with oil is true as it is not renewable.
But helium's a bit of a different beast, right? It's not just about filling balloons, it's a crucial element in a lot of high-tech and medical fields. For example, in MRI machines, helium is the go-to coolant because of its unique properties. And in scientific research, its low boiling point is irreplaceable for super cooling stuff.
So, while I'm all for cutting back on non-renewables, finding a one-size-fits-all alternative for helium is kinda tricky. So at the moment, I feel like, it's more about finding a balance and maybe pushing for more helium recycling and recovery strategies.
I don't see what the big deal is with diminishing helium reserves. We've got all this hydrogen, why don't we just fuse a bunch of it into helium? Easy as that. We'll even have some handy lithium...
I don't see what the big deal is with diminishing helium reserves. We've got all this hydrogen, why don't we just fuse a bunch of it into helium? Easy as that. We'll even have some handy lithium as a byproduct.
Not sure if you're joking or serious, so I'll just assume serious. From my admittedly limited knowledge based on a quick Google search, nuclear fusion is incredibly expensive and energy-intensive....
Not sure if you're joking or serious, so I'll just assume serious. From my admittedly limited knowledge based on a quick Google search, nuclear fusion is incredibly expensive and energy-intensive. The process also doesn't produce enough helium to really justify the cost, or at least not when there's naturally occurring helium.
So basically, if we get to a point where we have to synthesize helium to have any at all... Well I'm not looking forward to how much hospitals would have to charge for MRIs to justify the cost.
It does sound straightforward, in theory. But I don't think fusing hydrogen into helium is as simple as it might seem. Looking it up, the process requires extremely high temperatures and...
It does sound straightforward, in theory. But I don't think fusing hydrogen into helium is as simple as it might seem.
Looking it up, the process requires extremely high temperatures and pressures, similar to what's found in the core of the sun.
Replicating these conditions for energy-efficient helium production seems to be currently beyond our technological capabilities.
There also seem to be issues with managing the fusion process safely.
So, while it's an interesting thought, I don't think we're quite there yet in terms of practical application.
It's one of the most important elements currently being used in scientific research and medicine due to its unique thermal properties, with a boiling point near absolute zero. Wherever there is a...
It's one of the most important elements currently being used in scientific research and medicine due to its unique thermal properties, with a boiling point near absolute zero. Wherever there is a cryogenic superconductor being utilized (which is more places than you probably think), it's usually liquid Helium that got it to operational temperature. And since it's also radiologically inert, it's often used for cooling nuclear reactors as well. So good luck finding an alternative to it.
Until we discover a better way to achieve near absolute zero, and develop/discover better non-cryogenic superconductive materials, Helium is likely going to continue being required for all sorts of high tech applications and cutting edge research. And given how difficult that is, Helium will likely remain highly in demand for the foreseeable future.
I'm sure there's already research underway given the shortages, but it takes time to develop those alternative systems and technology. I feel like alternatives would need to be discovered and...
I'm sure there's already research underway given the shortages, but it takes time to develop those alternative systems and technology. I feel like alternatives would need to be discovered and tested on a case-by-case basis depending on what specific purpose helium is serving. I also fear that some things just might not have any viable alternatives, or at least not without a MAJOR design overhaul starting from scratch to omit whatever purpose helium served, which would take longer.
In the meantime, we'll still need it for many critical devices and systems. Then even after an alternative is found, it will still take time and a lot of money to replace every system and device that uses helium. Replacing four MRIs at a single hospital like the one in the article wouldn't be an easy overnight switch, nor cheap. I imagine most hospitals would hang onto their current MRIs as long as feasible, and (hopefully) replace them one at a time so the setup time won't impact operations. So even after alternatives come along, helium is going to be critical for a LONG time.
Should probably leave it alone and focus on living without helium.
Much like oil, we shouldn't continue developing systems that are dependant on non-renewable resources in my opinion.
I suppose the argument could be made that it's worth gambling on better tech leading to better energy innovations in the future. For example, we may be in a better position to develop oil alternatives now than we were many years ago, and we may not have gotten to this point without using oil like we have. But helium in particular is dicey since it's lighter than air. It really just doesn't want to be on this planet.
I get where you're coming from with the whole 'leave it alone' stance on helium, and the parallel with oil is true as it is not renewable.
But helium's a bit of a different beast, right? It's not just about filling balloons, it's a crucial element in a lot of high-tech and medical fields. For example, in MRI machines, helium is the go-to coolant because of its unique properties. And in scientific research, its low boiling point is irreplaceable for super cooling stuff.
So, while I'm all for cutting back on non-renewables, finding a one-size-fits-all alternative for helium is kinda tricky. So at the moment, I feel like, it's more about finding a balance and maybe pushing for more helium recycling and recovery strategies.
I don't see what the big deal is with diminishing helium reserves. We've got all this hydrogen, why don't we just fuse a bunch of it into helium? Easy as that. We'll even have some handy lithium as a byproduct.
Not sure if you're joking or serious, so I'll just assume serious. From my admittedly limited knowledge based on a quick Google search, nuclear fusion is incredibly expensive and energy-intensive. The process also doesn't produce enough helium to really justify the cost, or at least not when there's naturally occurring helium.
So basically, if we get to a point where we have to synthesize helium to have any at all... Well I'm not looking forward to how much hospitals would have to charge for MRIs to justify the cost.
Was totally joking, but I appreciate the response!
It does sound straightforward, in theory. But I don't think fusing hydrogen into helium is as simple as it might seem.
Looking it up, the process requires extremely high temperatures and pressures, similar to what's found in the core of the sun.
Replicating these conditions for energy-efficient helium production seems to be currently beyond our technological capabilities.
There also seem to be issues with managing the fusion process safely.
So, while it's an interesting thought, I don't think we're quite there yet in terms of practical application.
It's one of the most important elements currently being used in scientific research and medicine due to its unique thermal properties, with a boiling point near absolute zero. Wherever there is a cryogenic superconductor being utilized (which is more places than you probably think), it's usually liquid Helium that got it to operational temperature. And since it's also radiologically inert, it's often used for cooling nuclear reactors as well. So good luck finding an alternative to it.
Until we discover a better way to achieve near absolute zero, and develop/discover better non-cryogenic superconductive materials, Helium is likely going to continue being required for all sorts of high tech applications and cutting edge research. And given how difficult that is, Helium will likely remain highly in demand for the foreseeable future.
I'm sure there's already research underway given the shortages, but it takes time to develop those alternative systems and technology. I feel like alternatives would need to be discovered and tested on a case-by-case basis depending on what specific purpose helium is serving. I also fear that some things just might not have any viable alternatives, or at least not without a MAJOR design overhaul starting from scratch to omit whatever purpose helium served, which would take longer.
In the meantime, we'll still need it for many critical devices and systems. Then even after an alternative is found, it will still take time and a lot of money to replace every system and device that uses helium. Replacing four MRIs at a single hospital like the one in the article wouldn't be an easy overnight switch, nor cheap. I imagine most hospitals would hang onto their current MRIs as long as feasible, and (hopefully) replace them one at a time so the setup time won't impact operations. So even after alternatives come along, helium is going to be critical for a LONG time.