[ExI] Helium

[John Clark]

*In Qatar on March 2 one Iranian drone costing about $30,000 shut down the
largest helium production facility in the world, that one factory accounted
for about 30% of the entire world's production of helium, and among many
other things helium is vital in the manufacture of the most advanced
computer chips. Because of the shortage of helium chip producers have
already announced  they will be unable to fulfill contracts by the dates
their signed contracts had specified. They used the term  "force majeure".
I had to look it up, it means "unforeseen circumstances that prevent
someone from fulfilling a contract", apparently they didn't foresee the
massive stupidity of He Who Must Not Be Named.  *

*Speaking of computer chips, with so many US aircraft carriers concentrated
around Iran over 4 thousand miles from Taiwan, it occurred to me that now
would be the perfect time for China to attack the island that manufactures
nearly all of the most advanced AI chips. The Chinese must be giddy with
happiness that You Know Who started this war.*

*Qatar helium shutdown puts chip supply chain on a two-week clock*
<https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/qatar-helium-shutdown-puts-chip-supply-chain-on-a-two-week-clock>

*John K Clark    See what's on my list at  Extropolis
<https://groups.google.com/g/extropolis>*
3aa
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