Helium
Hydrogen begat helium in the universe's first moments
Forged in the Universe's First Minutes
Within three minutes of the Big Bang, when the universe was still 10 billion degrees Celsius, helium nuclei formed through primordial nucleosynthesis. This cosmic forge created roughly 25% of all normal matter as helium, making it the second-most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen. The same nuclear processes that created helium in those first moments still power the stars today.
The Only Element Discovered in Space First
During an 1868 solar eclipse, French astronomer Pierre Janssen spotted a mysterious yellow spectral line that matched no known terrestrial element. British astronomer Norman Lockyer confirmed the discovery and named it helium after Helios, the Greek god of the sun.
For 27 years, helium remained a celestial mystery until Scottish chemist William Ramsay finally isolated it from uranium ore in 1895. This marked the first time an element was discovered in space before being detected on Earth, revolutionizing our understanding of the cosmos. This stellar discovery would soon reveal properties that seemed to defy the laws of physics itself.
Becomes a Superfluid That Defies Gravity
Cool helium below 2.17 Kelvin (just -271°C), and it transforms into a superfluid with zero viscosity and infinite thermal conductivity. This liquid can flow upward through containers, creating perpetual fountains that appear to defy gravity. Temperature differences cannot exist within superfluid helium because it conducts heat infinitely fast—touch one end of a container, and the entire liquid responds instantly.
Scientists use this property to cool quantum computers to near absolute zero, where quantum effects become visible to the naked eye. The superfluid state represents matter behaving as a single quantum entity spanning an entire container.
Powers Every MRI Machine
Every MRI scanner requires approximately 1,700 liters of liquid helium annually to cool its superconducting magnets to -269°C. Without this cooling, the magnets would overheat and lose their superconducting properties, rendering the machines useless for medical imaging. The global MRI industry consumes roughly 20% of the world's helium supply, making medical diagnosis dependent on this cosmic relic.
Helium also enables life-saving heliox breathing mixtures for deep-sea divers and patients with severe respiratory conditions, reducing breathing effort by 40%. This medical dependence has created an unexpected crisis.
Facing an Irreversible Global Shortage
Unlike other gases, helium cannot be manufactured—it forms only through radioactive decay over millions of years in underground rock formations.
The United States once controlled 80% of the global supply through the Federal Helium Reserve in Texas, but began selling off stockpiles in the 1990s at artificially low prices. Qatar, Algeria, and Russia now dominate production, making supply vulnerable to geopolitical tensions.
Once released into the atmosphere, helium's low density causes it to escape into space permanently—every party balloon represents an irreplaceable loss of this finite resource. Scientists estimate we could exhaust accessible reserves within 30-50 years.
Space Exploration and Rocket Launches
NASA requires 58,000 cubic feet of helium per Space Shuttle mission for tank pressurization and engine cooling. Helium's chemical inertness makes it ideal for purging fuel lines and preventing explosive mixtures during launches.
Ground-based telescopes use helium cooling to minimize thermal noise in infrared detectors, enabling clearer observations of distant galaxies and exoplanets. The James Webb Space Telescope relied on helium cooling during its construction and testing phases. Without helium, much of our space exploration capability would be impossible.
Weather Balloons Reach the Edge of Space
Weather balloons filled with helium can ascend beyond 40 kilometers altitude, where atmospheric pressure drops to less than 1% of sea level. These balloons expand dramatically during ascent—a balloon starting at 2 meters in diameter can stretch to 10 meters before bursting.
The balloons provide crucial data for weather forecasting and climate research, carrying instruments that measure temperature, humidity, and atmospheric composition. Helium's seven-times-lower density than air creates the buoyant force that lifts these scientific instruments to the stratosphere.
Changes Your Voice Through Physics
Inhaling helium raises voice pitch because sound travels three times faster through helium than through air, though vocal cord vibration frequency remains unchanged.
However, helium displaces oxygen and can cause asphyxiation, with several deaths occurring annually from helium inhalation.
Drives Quantum Computing Revolution
Quantum computers require temperatures colder than deep space—often below 0.01 Kelvin—to prevent quantum states from collapsing due to thermal noise. Helium-3, a rare isotope, provides the final stage of cooling in dilution refrigerators that achieve these extreme temperatures. Major tech companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft depend on helium cooling to maintain quantum coherence in their experimental quantum processors. The global race for quantum supremacy has created unprecedented demand for helium, with some quantum computers consuming hundreds of liters per month.
The Bottom Line: Helium connects us to the cosmos while quietly enabling modern civilization, from medical imaging to space exploration. Yet this irreplaceable element escapes into space with every use, making conservation critical for future generations.