Smartphones, laptops, TV remotes —whatever the product— everything with batteries will eventually die. Of course, you can replace the battery, but it’s always a pain. Believe me, I need to replace the watch batteries on my Air Tags, and I haven’t done it yet. However, researchers at the University of Bristol and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) are working on changing this problem.

Together, these researchers have created the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery, which has the potential to power devices for thousands of years. The researchers say that this “bio-compatible diamond” can power medical devices like ocular implants, hearing aids, and pacemakers, which will help avoid the need for replacements.

Diamond batteries can also be used in extreme environments where replacing batteries is difficult.  This means it could power radio frequency tags that track devices on either Earth or in space.

The diamond battery uses the radioactive decay of carbon-14, has a half-life of over 5,700 years, and can generate low levels of power. It converts light into electricity, but unlike solar panels, it captures fast-moving electrons from the diamond structure.

“Diamond batteries offer a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power. They are an emerging technology that use a manufactured diamond to safely encase small amounts of carbon-14,” said Sarah Clark, Director of Tritium Fuel Cycle at UKAEA.

While this can be used for such great causes, it’d also be very cool to have a phone with a diamond battery that doesn’t need to be topped up every day or two.

Source:  Bristol AC UK Via: Gizmodo