Helium — the recluse of the periodic table — is reluctant to react with other elements. But squeeze the element hard enough, and it will form a chemical compound with sodium, scientists report. Helium ...

Noble gases—helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon—have long been believed to be the least reactive elements on the periodic table. Helium’s composition in particular, with its full outer ...

Earth metals aren't the only rare elements that are essential to modern technology. Helium, the lighter-than-air gas that buoys balloons, also plays roles in powering space shuttles, modern ...