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sedna: you know, almost all the helium there is was created when the universe was just three minutes old.

sedna: so this little helium balloon here is actually a 13.8-billion-year-old relic from the birth of the universe. it’s like i’m holding a piece of the big bang itself.

sfx: bang!

dini: h-here. would you like my 13.8-billion-year-old relic instead?

Webcomic Transcript Authorsthomas

2 Comments

Actually, although most of the helium in the UNIVERSE was indeed created in the Big Bang, most of the helium available on EARTH comes from the decay products of radioactive elements in the crust, such as uranium and thorium. The alpha particles given off in such decay are helium nuclei. So Sedna’s balloon is not filled with original, primordial helium: if the Earth ever had any of that, it would have escaped into space long ago.
I think….

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