Helium: the invisible gas that powers AI, and why it’s in short supply

Helium: the invisible gas that powers AI, and why it’s in short supply

Alongside the oil and gas stranded in the strait of Hormuz is another commodity vital to today’s economy: helium. It is a critical element in all kinds of areas from MRI machines to the Large Hadron Collider, and even deep-sea diving. It is also integral to the AI boom. And this isn’t the first time its fragile global supply chain has been threatened. So why is helium so useful, and what will happen if the shortage continues? Ian Sample hears from co-host Madeleine Finlay, and from Sophia Hayes, professor of chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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Episoder(299)

Extreme heat: is the UK becoming a 40C country?

Extreme heat: is the UK becoming a 40C country?

Met Office forecasters have issued a rare red weather warning for England, with temperatures potentially reaching 40C (104F) in some places. Europe is also dealing with a debilitating heatwave, with s...

23 Jun 14min

The audacious plan to refreeze the Arctic

The audacious plan to refreeze the Arctic

Sea ice is melting fast and worsening the climate crisis. But what if there were a way to thicken it again? Madeleine Finlay is joined by environment editor Damian Carrington to discuss a bold attempt...

18 Jun 16min

Should we ban social media for under-16s?

Should we ban social media for under-16s?

The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has announced a social media ban for under-16s, as part of an online safety drive that aims to go even further than the world’s first ban, introduced by Australia ...

15 Jun 20min

‘The undruggable became druggable’: a gamechanging treatment for the world’s deadliest cancer

‘The undruggable became druggable’: a gamechanging treatment for the world’s deadliest cancer

A daily pill can double survival time in patients with the world’s deadliest cancer, according to the results of a clinical trial that experts are saying is a gamechanger and one of the biggest breakt...

11 Jun 14min

The dinosaurs who survived the asteroid

The dinosaurs who survived the asteroid

While many dinosaurs were wiped out when a colossal asteroid struck Earth 66m years ago, one group survived: birds. Prof Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh, has written a...

9 Jun 17min

Heatstroke, sports washing and VAR psychology: the science of the World Cup

Heatstroke, sports washing and VAR psychology: the science of the World Cup

It’s just a week until the first whistle of the 2026 World Cup. To mark the occasion, Madeleine Finlay talks to Ian Sample about the science behind the tournament. It’s likely to be one of the hottest...

4 Jun 20min

The incredible science of the sleeping brain

The incredible science of the sleeping brain

Humans have been wondering why we sleep for thousands of years. Is sleep’s purpose rest and relaxation, memory consolidation or maybe cognitive processing? In the last 15 years, scientists have discov...

2 Jun 14min

Are robots nearing their ChatGPT moment?

Are robots nearing their ChatGPT moment?

Last month at Beijing’s half marathon, a robot named Lightning beat the human world record by nearly seven minutes. It’s the latest in a string of AI-powered milestones that have got people wondering ...

28 Mai 17min

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