Helium. This I did not see coming.

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@carstenfranke I don't think it will happen this year.

Or next year. Or the year after. Maybe the year after that. Maybe.

The things set in motion in that region are not going to go away. If Israel takes part of Lebanon, I expect Hesbollah will show up somewhere else, and if Israel takes part of Lebanon (which I expect), everyone around will get antsy.

U.S. leverage in the region I expect will decrement accordingly.

They have sewn the wind. I expect a whirlwind.

Ain't I cheerful? 🙃

[carstenfranke@mastodon.social]

@knowprose oh I agree with you. With the US busy and depleting weapons stocks more wars might start in other regions. It is a hot mess.

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@thepoliticalcat So much. Just do a search on what helium is used for.

typing it all in here is nuts.

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@carstenfranke Yeah. And Marines on the way on the Tripoli.

As a former Combat Corpsman, I just rolled my eyes heavily because sending a ship full of Marines over there is a concern.

The Marine Corps, my beloved Jarheads, are not known for diplomacy.

And they get crankier with sand in their shorts.

[thepoliticalcat@mastodon.social]

@knowprose It was a rhetorical question, honest. I was expecting the opening shots of WW III. Although I suppose we've already seen those.

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@thepoliticalcat Crimea was the first domino.

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@i_give_u_worms if it's down for longer than 2 weeks, parties are going to get more expensive. Just think of the party planner for mar--a-lago explaining this slowly.

"Mr. President, we can't have balloons for your 'we are winning ceremony''"...

He'll look for who to tariff...

[schrotthaufen@mastodon.social]

@knowprose @aral Gonna be fun weeks ahead for hospitals, too.

[jochenwettach@social.tchncs.de]

@knowprose @i_give_u_worms Just for party purposes, helium can be replaced easily by hydrogen. What could possibly go wrong...?

e. g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@jochenwettach @i_give_u_worms I wasn't gonna go there. 🤣

[jochenwettach@social.tchncs.de]

@knowprose @otfrom Although it is possible and permitted to use helium as a food packaging gas, it is way too expensive. Due to the small size oft helium atoms, it is also too volatile for most packaging purposes.

[ujay68@mastodon.world]

@knowprose Neither did The Grifter In Chief. Probably doesn’t even know what this Hellum thing is.

[wideeyedcurious@mstdn.social]

@knowprose And guess where a large source of possible helium lies domestically in the U.S.?

Minnesota 😂 oops MAGAs!

[otfrom@functional.cafe]

@jochenwettach @knowprose I was talking about co2 rather than helium https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-58626935

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@Su_G yeah.

Clowns to the left, jokers to the right...

[lfzz@mastodon.social]

@knowprose so my next ram upgrade is going to cost 2k and a kidney?

[boredomfestival@sfba.social]

@knowprose Yep. Most of our helium comes from natural gas production.

[landley@mstdn.jp]

@knowprose Bill Clinton was a republican in sheep's clothing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Helium_Reserve

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium_Privatization_Act_of_1996

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@landley that's interesting!

[rootwyrm@weird.autos]

@knowprose @cstross yeaaaaaah, unfortunately, I did. You learn lots about the helium supply chain (and lack thereof) when you're in storage and HGST just announced their new helium filled drives. And you go "uh, isn't that required for MRIs?"

Another fun fact: the US Federal Helium Reserve was *sold* in 2024 to private equity. Thanks Obama.
(No, seriously. The intentionally misnamed 'Helium Stewardship Act of 2013.')