As helium supplies dwindle, costs going up, up, up

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Helium, the noblest of gases, is facing an ignominious future. There is a worldwide shortage and the biggest dealer, the US government, is getting out of the business. It’s a racket.

By Oct. 7, the American government will cease funding its helium program, which it has run with an iron fist since the 1920s. Scientific research and manufacturing semiconductors represent about 50 per cent of the worldwide use of the gas, said Bob Morris, a chemistry professor at the University of Toronto said. Politico reports that it's a necessary component of producing most electronics and fiber optic cable, and parts of the tech industry are working overdrive to make sure Congress allows the federal supply of nearly half the country's helium to keep flowing.


As helium supplies dwindle, costs going up, up, up