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Rick, Your message was sent to directly to me (not to techdiver). By your last sentece, it appears that you intended it to be posted, so I am including a copy below. One other thing: I don't think helium can be made chemically by any means other than the fusion of hydrogen (big bombs, future energy source, the sun, etc.). Also, I suspect it would be VERY expensive to filter it out of the atmosphere... Aloha, Rich deepreef@bi*.bi*.ha*.or* ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 15:22:29 +0500 From: Rick Fincher <rnf@sp*.tb*.co*> To: deepreef@bi*.bi*.ha*.or* Subject: Re: Helium Sources snip >Does anyone have any knowledge to support or refute this story? What I heard about this was the the US Government had controlled helium because it was a strategic resource in the days of blimps and airships. The Hindenburg exploded and burned because the Germans used hydrogen, because the US wouldn't sell helium to the Nazis. During WWII blimps were still in widespread use. Blimps were mostly retired by the military after the war but the strategic helium program kept going by bureaucratic inertia until killed recently. As far as it being wasted, I don't know. If the gas wells dry up, it can be made chemically, but I don't know what the price is. As far as helium rising up in the atmosphere, does that happen? Why doesn't nitrogen rise up in the atmosphere? It is lighter than oxygen. Neon, argon, krypton, and xenon are all heavier than oxygen and nitrogen, why don't they settle to earth? A bag filled with a light gas will rise but individual molecules stay mixed pretty evenly, as I recall. All of you experts on gas behavior can probably tell us the gas laws involved. Rick Fincher rnf@sp*.tb*.co*
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