Nearly all of the world’s helium supply is found within a 250-mile radius of Amarillo, Texas (the Helium Capital of the World). The next largest deposit may be found on the moon.  There is a nasty policy debate going on at the moment because some scientist predict it will be virtually non-existent in another 40 years if we don’t do something quick to preserve it.  The implications of this extend well beyond the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.   Helium is used to create rocket fuel, operate MRI machines, and is vital to a number of superconducting processes.  I don’t know about you, but my life has been humming along just fine without this information.  Now that I know it, I will probably opt for the cookie bouquet rather than the balloon-a-gram.

Helium-free balloon dogs are the hilarious subjects of many paintings by Robert Jackson.

Gallery representation: Leslie Levy Fine Art , Gallery Henoch