JumpStart by Robb Armstrong for November 22, 2022

Who has balloons for a thanksgiving party other than Macys?

OMG, I just read that the average MRI machine utilizes 1,700 liters of helium.

That’s it, Marcus. Give it away!!

Didn’t know that about MRIs — thanks, Robb. (But gee, hydrogen-filled balloons would be so much more, um, exciting at parties, wouldn’t they?)

I love these strips. They are among the most humane and humanizing expressions of comic art. The writer/artist manages an amazing balance of the charitably serious and the genuinely funny. Over and over: Little moments of grace.

And a population of wonderfully realized characters.

Some smart person in the TV biz should be actively pursuing the rights to a live (or animated) adaptation.

Wait a minute. . . When the guy said, “We’re out of helium”, did he sound like a Munchkin?

MgB2 MRIs might substitute. Cool with liquid neon.

Never knew that pretty cool to learn that but sad if there truly is a helium shortage that cant be good.

It’s just helium.

So we need to develop cold fusion to make more helium (and electricity)

I learned something new today. Thanks, Robb.

uranium throws off helium ions through alpha decay, stick a bunch of radioactive stuff in an air-tight container and siphon off the noble gas that floats to the top

Matter is neither created nor destroyed.

Helium is also vital for some infrared telescopes, that use the liquid form to keep their detectors super-cold so they don’t pick up their own heat radiation. Scientists are concerned about this and other bad effects of the helium shortage. It’s been known for several years that we are heading into this situation. About the only source for helium is recovery from natural gas deposits, and there’s a limit on how much can be gotten per year that way. Let’s boycott the helium balloons!

We aren’t running out of helium, we’re just experiencing a shortage of reserves. There’s still plenty of helium in the world, we just don’t have it on hand right now.