2
He
Helium
A Different Kind of
Inflation Problem
ByPaulTullis Theworld’sheliumstoresarerunninglow. Prices are
soaring, and it’s not just party balloons at risk of going
unfilled. Two geologists say they’ve stumbled on a supply
that could transform a whole countryPhotographs by Adriane Ohanesian
◼ Helium $0.95 / liter 200-liter cylinder
Grad student Karim Mtili (right) collects gas samples in Itumbula, Tanzania