What scientific breakthroughs are dependent on helium?

“All kinds of scientific breakthroughs, from the discovery of the Higgs boson to the creation of new pharmaceutical materials, are dependent on helium,” says Mark Elsesser, manager of science policy at the American Physical Society.

Is helium a good coolant?

With a boiling point at -452 degrees Fahrenheit, helium's liquid state is the coldest of any element, and it doesn't freeze at everyday pressures, making it the world's best coolant. Superconducting magnets, such as the ones in MRI scanners or crucial pieces of chemistry lab equipment, don't work unless they're bathed in liquid helium.

How many atoms are in a helium atom?

Atoms are the teeny-tiny building blocks of all matter, and they contain even smaller parts called protons, neutrons, and electrons. It is the number of protons in the center, or nucleus, of an atom which makes each type of atom unique. Helium is an element, which means it is made of only one type of atom, the helium atom.