This isn't a joke. This is a privatization of a critical, finite resource - a huge step in the wrong direction. There's no way to manufacture helium. You can't condense it from the atmosphere like other gasses because when it's released, it rises and escapes the planet, permanently.
The supply is going to become very strategic when we run out of helium for MRI machines and other important superconducting equipment, scientific or otherwise.
We may develop suitable lower temperature superconductors, but there are thousands of MRIs that still need it, and plenty of medical centers that won't be able to afford to upgrade to new systems.
The supply is going to become very strategic when we run out of helium for MRI machines and other important superconducting equipment, scientific or otherwise.
We may develop suitable lower temperature superconductors, but there are thousands of MRIs that still need it, and plenty of medical centers that won't be able to afford to upgrade to new systems.