Taran RampersadMar 15

Helium. This I did not see coming.

Helium.

https://www.techspot.com/news/111683-critical-semiconductor-gas-lost-third-global-supply-drone.html

#tech #iranwar

Drone strikes halt a third of the world's helium supply, threatening chip production

At the center of the issue is the precision gas vital to chip manufacturing and cryogenics. Helium cools silicon wafers during fabrication, maintaining the extremely low temperatures...

TechSpot
Show threadRootWyrm 🇺🇦

@knowprose @cstross yeaaaaaah, unfortunately, I did. You learn lots about the helium supply chain (and lack thereof) when you're in storage and HGST just announced their new helium filled drives. And you go "uh, isn't that required for MRIs?"

Another fun fact: the US Federal Helium Reserve was *sold* in 2024 to private equity. Thanks Obama.
(No, seriously. The intentionally misnamed 'Helium Stewardship Act of 2013.')

Mar 15 at 9:52pmWeb