[Kosh]

Will this be the end of life as we know it?

http://science.slashdot.org/science/08/01/14/0219246.shtml

[IceFire]

...no just the end of helium filled balloons

[blowfish]

No more party baloons?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shade]

Just fill them with hydrogen. They'll float better, and if the party gets boring, you can always pull a Hindenburg to spice it up

[blowfish]

I think a lot of pyromaniacs would die in house fires if they filled them with hydrogen.

[JGZinv]

"The US created a stockpile, the National Helium Reserve, in 1925 for use by military dirigibles, but stopped stockpiling it in 1995 as a cost-saving measure."

Um... ok who's dirigible has been idling for 70 years using up all the helium?

For that matter maybe we sold it to another nation... "that's" what those oxygen bars
are really selling behind closed doors. 

[Kosh]

Just fill them with hydrogen. They'll float better, and if the party gets boring, you can always pull a Hindenburg to spice it up

That's a good way to get a darwin award.

[Fearless Leader]

I am realy not concerned by this, I dont see a downside besides "we wont have any". Maybe Im missing something

[Unknown Target]

No more Goodyear blimp?

[Shade]

Well to be honest, I don't really see the problem. The US has an election coming up, so there'll be more than enough hot air to replace any helium shortage for the blimps...

[Mefustae]

Well to be honest, I don't really see the problem. The US has an election coming up, so there'll be more than enough hot air to replace any helium shortage for the blimps...

*Golf clap*

[Mr. Vega]

Well, if we ever get fusion reactors up and running, they produce helium as a byproduct.

[Mefustae]

Well, if we ever get fusion reactors up and running, they produce helium as a byproduct.

I thought they needed helium for fuel, hence the reason for future mining of the Helium-3 deposits on the Moon.

[Kosh]

I thought they could also use hydrogen.......

[Jeff Vader]

I second that. I thought it was the whole point that they'd fuse hydrogen into helium, thus producing heat.

[Mefustae]

I thought they needed...

Hey, I never said I actually knew what the **** I was talking about.

[karajorma]

Actually, you're all correct. There are several different possible fuels for fusion power. Helium-3 is one of the better ones as it doesn't result in any radioactivity itself (although side products from its fusion might do).

[NGTM-1R]

"The US created a stockpile, the National Helium Reserve, in 1925 for use by military dirigibles, but stopped stockpiling it in 1995 as a cost-saving measure."

Um... ok who's dirigible has been idling for 70 years using up all the helium?

Every few years somebody brings back the idea of using blimps for ASW patrol bombers, since they'd have all the range and time aloft in the world, and could carry more substantial weapons loads then the current aircraft in service for that purpose. It's actually a very sound concept for convoy escort in places like the North Atlantic. The only thing really holding it back anymore is the difficultly getting people to take it seriously.

[karajorma]

The Hindenburg disaster ruined the concept of airships as anything other than a niche for most things. Ironic cause more people survived than died and the passengers who did die were all killed by jumping/falling out of the ship as it crashed. Those who stayed inside all survived.

[Kosh]

The Hindenburg disaster ruined the concept of airships as anything other than a niche for most things. Ironic cause more people survived than died and the passengers who did die were all killed by jumping/falling out of the ship as it crashed. Those who stayed inside all survived.

Even then it wasn't because of the hydrogen that made it go up, it was the paint.