Future Battery

Thanks to U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory funding, you may never have to recharge your laptop battery again. Scientists have created commercial betavoltaic power cells made from semiconductors which use radioisotopes as an energy source. As the radioactive material decays, it creates a steady stream of electrical energy capable of running an electronic device for up to thirty years. Even better, it runs completely cool and is non-toxic once all the energy is used up. According to this article, the plan is to release the batteries to the public within a few years. Here's hoping that I'll never have to charge my iPod during my sleeper ship journey to Alpha Centauri.