Earlier this week, scientists from both institutions announced the creation of a diamond battery that leverages the decaying power of isotope carbon-14—the same isotope used in carbon dating. This isotope is useful for archaeologists because its half-life (the time it takes for half of its atomic nuclei to decay into other atoms) is a staggering 5,730 years. This makes carbon-14 wonderfully adept at dating objects that are up to 60,000 years old (any older than that, there’s not enough for an accurate reading). However, carbon-14’s uncommonly long half-life has other possible uses—apparently, it can serve as the power source of an incredibly long-lasting battery.
“Diamond batteries offer a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power,” Sarah Clark from UKAEA said in a press statement. “They are an emerging technology that use a manufactured diamond to safely encase small amounts of carbon-14.”
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