Talking with Helium Re: Smarter Every Day 113 Comments

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[@SpecificLove7]

Glad you explained this, my son was watching this with me and it helped him understand.

[@gali01992]

Back in 1974 I joined the Army and became a weather observer. During weather balloon training (weather balloons use pure helium), three of us managed to finish our training for the day early so we wandered down to where the helium tanks were stored and we all took a deep breath of it. We then locked arms and skipped down the hallway singing "we represent the lollipop guild" a la Wizard of Oz. We rounded a corner and I was the only one that saw the full bird colonel coming toward us. I immediately unlocked my arms, shot a weird look to my buddies as if I didn't know them, and then ducked into an empty classroom. Through the door I could hear the colonel light into my buddies, threatening them with a Court Martial. Later on, when I met my buddies, they gave me a hard time for bailing on them.

[@ProfAwesomeO]

I'm glad you explained to them why they should be careful about breathing helium. I knew many kids growing up who only knew that helium makes your voice high and not how dangerous it can be

[@unvergebeneid]

To be honest, I also never heard how dangerous it can be and now searching for it, I can't find any cases where someone accidentally asphyxiated from breathing from a helium balloon, not even a child. I know inert gas asphyxiation is dangerous because you don't feel it. I also know that sulfur hexafluoride doesn't make for the same fun party trick as helium does because it will stay in your lungs until you actively remove it. But helium? The worst I can see happening is someone with an unusually ample supply of helium passing out at which point the helium will just leave their lungs. Of course, you can hurt yourself when you faint but I mean come on!

[@murdocha]

Penny Lane I had the same thought watching Mythbusters when Adam inhaled Sulfur Hexafluoride. Other than deep breathing, I can only assume that inversion would help remove it from your lungs. It's an interesting thought. How much of the actual air in the lungs is exchanged with each breath?

[@unvergebeneid]

Alex Murdoch Well, I'm sure when they do it on TV, they have people around who know how to handle SF6. I mean when someone passes out, all you have to do is lift him by the legs so that the stuff can leave his lungs. If you don't have at least two people close-by who know what to do, however, I imagine it could turn ugly.

[@zeebeezoey]

Penny Lane Here's an example of someone dying from helium inhalation. They won a Darwin Award for their efforts. www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/03/2006_darwin_award/

[@unvergebeneid]

rdm_box Yeah, I've read about that case when I did the above-mentioned research. But they _climbed_ _inside_ a huge helium balloon, they didn't breathe from one. That's where the "it's dangerous because you don't feel it" part comes into play. My point still stands though.

[@TheTigero]

Aaaand in case anyone had any doubts that Destin is a great father... Here ya go! I like how you explain everything to your kids as if they were adults, that's a classy family right there!

[@clo4]

That's how my parents talked to me as a kid, and it really helps in one's understanding of the world right from an early age. If a kid doesn't understand something, they ask.

[@Young_Asher]

my lil brother asked what Destin said at 1:36 and he said..."Well duh! No wonder he is lightheaded. He is about to float!"

[@Young_Asher]

Get it? Helium makes you float? :-)

[@Scott-.]

I liked the fact that you told them it was magical. Let the kids imagine how it works for themselves, let them be creative. Science is really important, but it never would have progressed to where it is now if creativity was never nurtured :) From what I've seen on videos from both channels I think Destin strikes a great balance between nurturing both the creative and intellectual within his kids!

[@SmarterEveryDay2]

That's the goal!

[@earthygreen]

I love this! I do this with my son all the time. I'm a divorced mother who LOVES science. So every time I get the chance to explain something really neat to my son, I do. Just the way you did. Yesterday or the day before I explained to him how our desk fan works. It had stopped working and I really hate throwing something away if I can fix it, so I took the whole thing apart down to motor parts and cleaned everything. Put machine oil on friction points and put it back together. I wish I would have waited till he was home and show him what I was doing, as I was doing it. But I just didn't think of it. When I explained to him about the magnets inside the motor and the on/off mechanism of it, he was excited and fascinated! I love seeing that response from him. Which is probably why I love these videos. A dad who is a science geek who not only can teach his kids neat things but can give them the details of the fascinating way science effects everything in our lives, all the time!

[@Ben-Jack]

My dad bought a Bottle of Helium for a birthday once, we were sucking it in a lot for 10-15 minutes and at 1 point I decided to take a massive breath of it, next thing I know I was laying on the ground with a headache, first time I released I shouldn't suck in to much Helium :)

[@CaChing14]

best dad ever!

[@mandydax]

You gonna scare them with your sulfur hexafluoride voice? It's scientific! Muahahahahaha! ;D

[@zoebrattle8972]

I had to stop myself creasing up at his helium voice

[@marylagua5079]

Kids are giggling so cute.

[@scariaez2]

I thought this was going to be about all the flack you got about your kids calling you "sir". I still don't know why people were upset by that.

[@SmarterEveryDay2]

Nah. Not worth the time.

[@error.418]

He talks about that here, if you're curious: smartereveryday.tumblr.com/post/83456589657/re-people-confused-by-children-who-say-yes-sir

[@LiyaxD]

it`s so fun to watch you guys :)

[@SeaShipDev]

Sulphur Hexafluoride would be quite funny. :)

[@christinawhelan2436]

Your awsome! Love how you explain things. Your children and wife are lucky to have you! ♥

[@Nexus2Eden]

Great teeth! Love your kids - what a lucky family.

[@OsRsSavant]

Hey its me Damian and I wwanted to tell you that I found your other Chanel !

[@nbt2397]

i know this video is old, but the magic triggered me. thanks for solving it.

[@mattrman3]

I love your kids

[@SmarterEveryDay2]

Me Too!

[@DobieTanpaw]

Next try Xenon or Sulfur Hexafluoride gas ;-) Because they are significantly more dense then air, they will have the opposite effect on your voice as Helium.

[@DobieTanpaw]

***** Just about any industrial gas supply company should be able to sell you some. The same type of place you'd go to get welding gasses or helium in bulk. (Around here it's Praxair or AirGas)

[@DobieTanpaw]

***** I should mention though that, Unlike helium, these gasses can accumulate in your lungs because they are heavier then air. You have to be extra careful with them, and be sure to have someone who can turn you on your head (literally, turn you upside down) to get the gas out should you pass out and be unable to expel it manually by breathing hard.

[@Spitts]

Or just a can of duster used for blowing dust out of your computer. IDK what's in it but I saw an intervention episode where a 100lb girl with a squeaky voice was hooked on that stuff and sounded like Mr. T when she did it

[@brettarmour7254]

The Average PC Gamer canned air is 90% of the time sold with a bittering agent that greatly irritates your lungs and airway if you huff it, so i would highly suggest you do NOT try this. other than that, it's literally just supercompressed atmospheric air and an accellerant, which is why it gets stupid cold to frostbiting tempuratures after a prolonged spray.

[@Imfromjamaicaman]

Dude.. That stuff might give people nightmares..

[@scienceprimo]

Last I checked Walmart sells helium as a 9:1 He:O2 mix to minimize the risk of hypoxia.

[@jaimhirschman3140]

To your children, it was magic. "Magic's just science that we don't understand yet"(Thor). Before you explained how the balloon in the car was moving forwards when you accelerated, it was magic to me, but know I understand, so it isn't magic.

[@scienceprimo]

That quote was originally from Arthur C. Clarke.

[@jaimhirschman3140]

scienceprimo Thank you for telling me that. I din't know that before.

[@gsau3000]

I breathed a whole lot of helium once. I didn't get high but I did float up a couple of inches.

[@Matt_Rowan]

Destin sounds like Aziz Ansari when he's on the helium.

[@zoebrattle8972]

me and my mate are absolutely creasing up destin u are so funny

[@GameReject217]

You learn something new on both channels... I wonder what would happen if a child did do that and what the long term effects are... -shifty eyes-

[@bobnuck1426]

I can't subscribe twice!!

[@Radicus]

Yes you can. Infact, you can subscribe three times. KZbin+Patreon+Subbable.

[@SmarterEveryDay2]

RaDnWave I can confirm this comment is true.

[@MrRobinhalligan]

You are a very cool dad if i was a dad i would like to think i would be like you but at 52 don't see that happining

[@littleman787]

You're so damn smiley! :)

[@demian_yt2069]

best dad in the world after mi dad

[@ebigum]

Top dad

[@minergmaingx2000]

At the end, you still sound kinda squeaky.

[@taylor124567890]

Hahahaha oh my god I pissed myself!

[@kristibutterflykirk1]

Does helium convert to another gas when you breathe it or did you just release a balloon full of helium into a car?

[@frackwang9353]

Did he get a hair cut

[@SmarterEveryDay2]

haha... oh man... you have no idea. Stay tuned for a video on that.

[@frackwang9353]

I was bored so I watched it twice and I noticed

[@K1370]

Nice

[@marylagua5079]

😍😃

[@annonimus2247]

hhahaha

[@93inoo]

hug your kids for me please... least manly thing Iv said all day time to go drink some beer and get some firewood..