Hey nerds, while we're baking up some hot fresh brain food for y'all,

here's an episode we first did last year to celebrate the birthday of something very special

in your life and mine. Back with a new episode tomorrow, and don't forget to follow or subscribe

to the show. Okay, love you mean it, bye! You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Maddie Sify here with Science Correspondent Jeff Brumfield.

And today we're celebrating this year the periodic table turns 150.

Here at Shortwave we are marking the occasion by talking about some of our favorite elements.

And quite conveniently I've brought along some birthday balloons,

but these balloons have a second purpose, Maddie. What is that purpose, Jeff?

They also contain my favorite element, which is helium. And helium is really interesting in ways

you might not expect. The story of helium involves attack blimps, it involves space rockets,

yeah sure, even cutting edge medical imaging. I'm not sending that, but yeah.

And I've heard that the world might be running out of helium.

That's true, the world's helium is leaking out as we speak.

So today in the show we'll talk about what the helium shortage actually means,

and why a lot more is at stake than a few balloons.

All right Jeff, here's what I know about helium. It's like the second most abundant element in the universe.

Yep, good. It's not very dense, so sound travels faster through helium than normal air,

which is why your voice sounds so high after you inhale it.

You're starting to impress me. Yes. Keep going.

It's a noble gas, which probably means it thinks it's better than the other gases.

It certainly does. And that's what I know. That's a great primer on helium,

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