Nano-diamond self-charging batteries could disrupt energy as we know it

This is silly. It's not going to disrupt Li-ion. Power outputs are way too low. C14 has a half life of 5700 years. This isn't going to output Li-ion levels of power/weight for 5 millennia. It looks like it might give you microwatts/gram, but this is much closer to existing nuclear tech like RTGs or beta voltaics than it is to Li-ion batteries.

Lotsa claims, artist's rendition of possible product. Wake me up when it's on Amazon.

&gt; NDB says [the batteries] will be cost-competitive with, and sometimes significantly less expensive than – current lithium batteries. That equation is helped along by the fact that some of the suppliers of the original nuclear waste will pay NDB to take it off their hands.<p>How much C-14 is produce annually?

Unexpectedly, snopes [1] has a good overview of the technology until 2017.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.snopes.com&#x2F;fact-check&#x2F;radioactive-diamond-batteries-real-thing&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.snopes.com&#x2F;fact-check&#x2F;radioactive-diamond-batter...</a>

I&#x27;m not knowledgeable enough to comment on the validity of these claims but my gut feeling is along the lines of <i>&quot;If it sounds too good to be true...&quot;</i><p>Also, the description of the technology sounds so simple that I find it difficult to believe no-one&#x27;s thought of it before <i>ergo</i> there must be a catch.<p>It would be great if this was for real though. The possibilities of such such a thing are almost unimaginable.

So is this basically a charge based version of a RTG (hence the diamond semiconductor)?<p>Edit: apparently these devices are called betavoltaics

I know this isn&#x27;t necessarily a logic-based conclusion...<p>My first thought was &quot;Chief Medical Officer? Huh? No. Thanks. I smell bs.&quot;

Like many of the comments in the article said, I don&#x27;t think this would be safe. Diamonds can be shattered and they do burn.

In spite of all the grandiose claims, if their claims are even half of what they say, it would be pretty impressive!

I&#x27;d love to believe it. It sounds plausible. I&#x27;d have to see a lot more to invest in it.