Helium Is Soaring On Red-Hot Demand, Shrinking Supply

Helium Is Soaring On Red-Hot Demand, Shrinking Supply

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On Wednesday of last week, some of you may have watched a man fly without a plane or hang glider. David Blaine, the illusionist and endurance artist, soared over the Arizona desert by holding onto 50 giant helium balloons. The stunt, called "Ascension,“ lasted about an hour, during which Blaine reached a maximum altitude of 24,900 feet, or about 4.7 miles, before parachuting back to earth.

What made his flight possible, of course, was helium, the lighter-than-air stuff that makes your voice sound like Mickey Mouse's.

Many people may not be aware that the gas is used for much more than filling birthday balloons. It plays a critical role in a number of high-tech applications, from barcode readers to semiconductors to liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels. Magnetic resonance