Helium: The Noble Escape Artist

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe and the most stubbornly unreactive gas on the periodic table. It never freezes at normal pressure, even near absolute zero, making it essential for cooling superconducting magnets in MRI scanners. Because helium is light and escapes the atmosphere, Earth reserves are finite and mostly trapped in natural gas fields. Party balloons are just the visible tip of a strategic resource..

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