The majority of you probably have a digital camera, whether it’s a point and shoot or a DSLR. Or maybe you have a handheld gaming device like a PSP or even the newest DSi. If you don’t have those, then how about a laptop? And if you’re still batting 0 for 3, I bet you have a cell phone.

All of these devices use lithium-ion batteries, which last much longer than traditional batteries. Unfortunately, charging these batteries can take a couple hours and sometimes that can be a pain.

Great news though: there’s been a breakthrough in the understanding of how lithium-ion batteries work and the long charge time will become a thing of the past. Though it’s a lot of technical talk, scientists have discovered a way to get the ions to move faster through the battery and therefore charge faster. They’ve also discovered a material that does not lose its capacity to charge over time.

Now, how is this better for the environment (besides not having to dispose of so many dangerous batteries)? Well, it could change the face of hybrid cars and make cars that run fully on batteries even more popular. In addition to a quick charge, these new batteries would have a quick discharge, which would mean that hybrid and electric cars could accelerate better.

For more information, check out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7938001.stm.

Posted by
Laurie Perini