this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2024
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"A dream. It's perfect": Helium discovery in northern Minnesota may be biggest ever in North America (www.cbsnews.com)
submitted 8 months ago by L4s to c/technology
117 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

"A dream. It's perfect": Helium discovery in northern Minnesota may be biggest ever in North America::For a century, the U.S. Government-owned the largest helium reserve in the country, but the biggest exporters now are in Russia, Qatar and Tanzania. With this new discovery, Minnesota could be joining that list.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Probably not much. The hydrogen that a party balloon would contain could certainly make a small, exciting explosion, but it probably wouldn't have enough energy to set anything else on fire.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

It's a common high school chem lab demonstration. Without added oxygen, the H2 balloons sort of burn from the outside in, and you get a sort of slow burning mushroom plume. It could light paper or cloth on fire in close proximity.

With added oxygen... BLAM! It could shatter windows.

[–] Nastybutler 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You willing to risk your house, life, and the lives of your children in that?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Yes. I use flammable gas for cooking and heating in my home everyday, hydrogen science kit toys are available for children to play with, and I have some experience working with actually dangerous high pressure hydrogen and oxygen to boot.