Scientists have achieved a major milestone in energy storage after developing a nuclear battery that can convert atomic waste into electricity.

A team in the US has already tested the next-generation battery with a prototype device capable of harvesting enough nuclear radiation to power microchips.

Nuclear batteries have been hailed for their potential to generate electricity for decades without the need for charging or maintenance.

The breakthrough battery, built by researchers at Ohio State University, works by taking ambient gamma radiation from spent nuclear fuel and converting it to light via scintillator crystals. This light is then converted into electricity through solar cells.

Read more in the Independent here.

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