In a Feb. 4, 1957, photo, W.E. Kelley, left, and Robert C. Miller exhibit the nuclear battery, in center of ring at left, powering a radio transmitter. The tiny atomic battery, whose basic material is a radioactive waste byproduct of nuclear reactors, promethium 147, was put on display in New York for the first time. It?s been nearly a quarter of a century since the last big jump in battery technology. As 21st century technology strains to be ever faster, cleaner and cheaper, the battery, an invention from more than 200 years ago keeps holding it back.
In this undated photo provided by the University of Texas at Austin, John Goodenough, godfather of the lithium ion battery, poses for photos with one of his devices. Goodenough, 90, is the man responsible for the 1979 breakthrough that led to the first commercial lithium ion battery in 1991. He will receive the National Medal of Science at the White House in early 2013.
In a Feb 27, 2002, photo, Lew Urry holds up an original alkaline battery that was marketed in 1958, left, and a current battery in Westlake, Ohio. Urry, 76, who still works for Energizer Holdings Inc., developed the first commercially viable alkaline battery.
In this Jan. 14, 2011, photo provided by the Argonne National Laboratory, process engineer Bryant Polzin fills an 18650 lithium-ion battery cell with electrolyte using semi-automated equipment at Argonne's Cell Fabrication Facility in Lemont, Ill. To make the next breakthrough in battery technology, researchers have to master complex chemistry, expensive manufacturing, detailed engineering, a variety of different materials, lengthy testing, stringent safety standards, and giant cost problems.
In a Jan. 4, 1998, photo, General Motors unveils the EV1 Parallel Hybrid vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It?s been nearly a quarter of a century since the last big jump in battery technology. As 21st century technology strains to be ever faster, cleaner and cheaper, the battery, an invention from more than 200 years ago keeps holding it back. It's why electric cars aren't clogging the roads.
This undated photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the burned auxiliary power unit battery from a JAL Boeing 787 that caught fire on Jan. 7, 2013, at Boston's Logan International Airport. It?s been nearly a quarter of a century since the last big jump in battery technology. As 21st century technology strains to be ever faster, cleaner and cheaper, the battery, an invention from more than 200 years ago keeps holding it back. It's why Boeing's new ultra-efficient 787 Dreamliners aren't flying high.