In case anyone was wondering...
http://www.slate.com/id/2143631/?nav=fo>1=8295
Helium
Fri, 06/16/2006 - 01:53
#1
Helium
Fri, 06/16/2006 - 19:24
#3
I'm not trying to be rude...but do people really believe helium is safe somehow ? Or that it can't do this stuff? I figured this knowledge would fall under common sense.
Fri, 06/16/2006 - 23:31
#4
darth_clone19
Well, not really common sense. Common sense is, well common. Like strapping your seat belt. About the helium, somebody would tell you, unless you read lots of science books and figured it out on your own.
Sat, 06/17/2006 - 03:19
#5
Guess I was born with this knowledge :P
Sat, 06/17/2006 - 03:20
#6
Guess I was born with this knowledge :P
Sat, 06/17/2006 - 09:38
#7
It seems fairly common sense, breathing in helium isn't that bad for you but climbing into a helium balloon so that you are breathing in ONLY helium and NO oxygen is sure to result in asphyxiation. Any gas that isn't oxygen, just because it's not actually poisonous doesn't mean you can breathe in a 100% mix of it and not suffer any ill effects.
Sun, 06/18/2006 - 00:13
#8
darth_clone19
Well, of course. But I was mostly thinking of that kid the article mentions, who passed out at a party. I mean, breathing it in with no oxygen, sure, thats pretty stupid, but inhaling it, like some people like to do, is fairly common, and if something happens, I guess one is entitled to the benefit of the doubt.
Sun, 06/18/2006 - 01:59
#9
Furthermore, our body works primarily on carbon-dioxide levels to determine if all is well. So momentarily inhaling (like when taking a single breath from a balloon) a gas like helium with no oxygen present won't upset anything much. That's likely why someone occasionally lands in trouble like this. There's no initial discomfort and you're still exhaling CO2, so the respiratory center in the brain doesn't sound the alarm.
Sun, 06/18/2006 - 15:42
#10
yes... I mean i would all be asphyxiation, I very much doubt helium could actually be poisonous what with it being inert and everything (i.e. it doesn't react with anything at all)... same reason why they use it and other inert gases to fill ships when they are on fire to replace the oxygen and reduce the risk of explosion.
Fri, 07/07/2006 - 02:54
#11
The alveoli of the lungs are designed to process O2 molecules, not helium. Even thoguh helium is lighter than air, it is sort of sticky. This is evidenced by when you inhale helium and get a high-pitched voice. It's the helium atoms clinging to your esophagus. Too much is definitely fatal.
The point that is being missed, however, is that our fetish is one of the furthest possible from fact.
Sun, 07/09/2006 - 16:46
#12
I think if you get to much helium it could be harmfull
OOOOHHH!
Who is this thread directed at?
Anyway, didn't know helium could do that. Interesting.
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