MRI machines need thousands of liters of liquid helium to function. Health care workers say they can’t afford any disruptions to the helium supply chain.

Privatizing the US national helium reserve. Gonna laugh when in a few years the government of another nation ends up owning it. Helium is dwindling finite resource that key technological infrastructure relies upon.

  • gaycomputeruser [she/her]
    ·
    5 months ago

    Can't wait to listen to all my analytical chemistry friends complain about how helium is too expensive and how they have to design new procedures.

    • WhatDoYouMeanPodcast [comrade/them]
      ·
      5 months ago

      I've helped people make procedures with nitrogen and hydrogen based on studies that use helium because helium is too expensive. Not being able to do an MRI because you need helium is nightmare inducing.