kidsmoke Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 So hey, science-types (and others), how concerned are you about the depletion of the world's helium reserves? People generally assume that helium is somehow extracted from our air, but it is actually pumped from underground. It is created by natural radioactive decay and can't be artificially created. One of the world's primary sites of helium reserves is in an underground geological formation about 15 miles NW of Amarillo, TX. Supplies are rapidly disappearing! It is believed that there are about 11 billion cubic feet remaining at the TX facility, less than half of what was once there. The federal government is now taking steps to insure that the remaining helium is allocated fairly. (I can't help it, I'm picturing congresspersons sucking on helium balloons. Before important votes especially.) Once the reserves fall below 3 billion cubic feet, the last if the helium will be used for "federal national security and scientific needs", according to a draft of the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act. I didn't realize how many applications there are for helium: besides balloons for fun and weather balloons, it can be mixed with oxygen to create a gas called heliox which can help newborns with breathing difficulties and divers diving to great depths. It is also used for medical scanners (MRI's), LCD screens, aerospace, electronics, fiber optics, etc, etc. A world without helium seems as unimaginable as a world without elephants (which we might also be headed for if we don't get our act together). No more talking like Donald Duck?! Also, a question for you Amarillo-based Texans: is the ground sort of floaty about 15 miles NW of Amarillo? Or what? Discuss. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Hey Donna, we know it's your birthday and all, but who's been giving you all these helium balloons?Step away from the balloons! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 *Donald Duck voice* "What? Just trying to get my share before it's all gone!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedling Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 How interesting Donna. I live in Amarillo and it's funny, growing up here helium was once a major economical force in this area. When I was a child there was a lot of chatter (remember I was a kid) about helium and how important it was to this areas economy. Moving forward some years, it seems helium is an afterthought and I don't hear About it much. I did not know all of the different uses it has and I'm completely taken by surprise that it can not be artificially created. I hate to think of any resource becoming depleted. I would like to know if there is research being conducted to try and create artificial helium.The land doesn't float but it sure is flat. Makes for some of the prettiest sun sets and sun rises you'll ever see. Oh, and the air is so clean you can see for miles and miles. Quite incredible actually. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 I've been through that stretch of Texas, Tweedling, and I can attest to its utter flatitude. Didn't get to see a sunrise or sunset, but I remember you could see for miles and miles in any direction. I'd love to see a sunrise there. I think there are ways to create helium artificially, or to extract it from air, but they are prohibitively expensive. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Queen Amaranthine Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 *Donald Duck voice* "What? Just trying to get my share before it's all gone!" Great forum topic here, but all I have to contribute, kidsmoke already said! (happy belated birthday, by the way) Future science corner topics would be appreciated, FYI--got anything on dinosaurs? Paleontology is a pretty interesting and surprisingly active field, you know. And architecture is intriguing too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 Paleontology was never my strong subject, but I'll keep this idea under advisement. Also architecture. Meanwhile, the powers-that-be have decreed that is is unfeasible and also unethical to clone a Neanderthal. So you won;t have to worry about that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bleedorange Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Paleontology? Don't we have human records of our time here on Earth living with the dinosaurs? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bleedorange Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 All kidding aside, I'm a huge geology nerd. And volcanology. I often wish that I had realized my love of these subjects earlier in my life and pursued them in college. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Meanwhile, the powers-that-be have decreed that is is unfeasible and also unethical to clone a Neanderthal. So you won;t have to worry about that. I heard a story on NPR about this. They said they'd already gotten a pile of inquiries from women who had volunteered to carry the little Neanderthal clone baby to term. Isn't that adorable? And also they were having discussions about the ethical issues that would arise in making reasonable accommodations for the lil' Neanderthal in our school system, how to ensure that he would live a fulfillled life, etc. I felt like I was in bizarro world! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anthony Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 And architecture is intriguing too.I am not quite an architect, but I am a structural engineer [the more interesting portion of building design! ]. So if anyone has any questions, we could do a reddit-style AMA type thing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 Paleontology? Don't we have human records of our time here on Earth living with the dinosaurs? Even as we speak, these records are being written in the dank basements of fundamentalist churches. All kidding aside, I'm a huge geology nerd. And volcanology. I often wish that I had realized my love of these subjects earlier in my life and pursued them in college.Geology is a fascinating subject. Any thoughts of going back to school and pursuing your passion? You're a young pup yet. I heard a story on NPR about this. They said they'd already gotten a pile of inquiries from women who had volunteered to carry the little Neanderthal clone baby to term. Isn't that adorable? And also they were having discussions about the ethical issues that would arise in making reasonable accommodations for the lil' Neanderthal in our school system, how to ensure that he would live a fulfillled life, etc. I felt like I was in bizarro world!That fellow on the insurance commercials doesn't seem too bad. I am not quite an architect, but I am a structural engineer [the more interesting portion of building design! ]. So if anyone has any questions, we could do a reddit-style AMA type thing.Sounds like fascinating work, Anthony, but I'm not even sure where to begin with questions since I know so little about this line of work. Does it involve a lot of considerations of seismic response, living as you do in southern CA? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bleedorange Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Geology is a fascinating subject. Any thoughts of going back to school and pursuing your passion? You're a young pup yet. I wish. It's too late for that. Especially with the high cost of school, my lack of any science background, and the fact that I make a decent salary now. Add in a family and a new house, and it just wouldn't be feasible. I do appreciate the sentiment though. But I'll just have to make it as one of my many interests and hobbies. I do admire those that love their jobs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anthony Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Sounds like fascinating work, Anthony, but I'm not even sure where to begin with questions since I know so little about this line of work. Does it involve a lot of considerations of seismic response, living as you do in southern CA?Yes, I spend at lot of time an energy design for earthquakes. Every region of the country has their quirks (snow, wind, etc.), but we get ground shaking. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Queen Amaranthine Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 All kidding aside, I'm a huge geology nerd. And volcanology. I often wish that I had realized my love of these subjects earlier in my life and pursued them in college. It's fun and surprising what interests we discover as we get older. As for semi-recent paleontology discoveries, my son and I came across this as we were looking up stuff about prehistoric creatures just for fun last night (that is what my 7-year-old likes to do with his parents for fun...do I have a science geek on my hands or what? And he already says he wants to be a scientist when he grows up, it's so nice to see the OCD gene he inherited from his mom put to practical use). Check out titanoboa:http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-Titanoboa-the-40-Foot-Long-Snake-Was-Found.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anthony Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Brillant Mitosis Landscape Architecture: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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