World's First Diamond Battery Could Power Spacecraft and Pacemakers for Thousands of Years

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An invention from the UK features diamonds in the first-ever application of the gemstone in battery technology.

Promising to last thousands of years, the microwatt power sources are seen as the perfect solution to devices in environments where neither changing batteries nor carrying around extras are options.

Developed by the University of Bristol in partnership with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the battery contains a radioactive isotope of carbon called carbon-14.

Isotopes are forms of chemical elements with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons. Some are stable, but those that aren’t are radioactive and emit radiation as they decay.

In the battery, a radioactive carbon-14 isotope is encased inside a shell of diamond, the hardest substance known to man.

“Diamond batteries offer a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power. They are an emerging technology that use a manufactured diamond to safely encase small amounts of carbon-14,” said Sarah Clark, the director of Tritium Fuel Cycle at the (UKAEA), in a statement.

Electricity via the battery is generated in a way similar to a solar panel through the betavoltaic effect—harnessing the electrons emitted by the carbon-14 and captured by the diamond matrix.

Carbon-14 has a half-life of about 5,700 years, meaning that it would be several thousand years before the diamond Duracell bunny inside would start to tire out, making it ideal for spacecraft and satellites which can’t undergo maintenance easily, or in medical devices like pacemakers which have to be implanted and which cannot for the sake of the user have a battery change on the go.

“Our micropower technology can support a whole range of important applications from space technologies and security devices through to medical implants,” Tom Scott, a professor in materials at the University of Bristol, said in the statement. “We’re excited to be able to explore all of these possibilities, working with partners in industry and research, over the next few years.”The idea gives a whole new meaning to that old adage about how diamonds are forever. World's First Diamond Battery Could Power Spacecraft and Pacemakers for Thousands of Years

Read More........→June 10, 2025

Shingles vaccine can protect heart health up to 8 years: Study

New Delhi, (IANS) People who are given a vaccine for shingles -- zoster vaccine -- have a 23 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke, heart failure, and coronary heart disease, according to a study of more than a million people.

The live zoster vaccine contains a weakened form of the varicella-zoster virus that causes shingles.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. It has also been linked to a higher risk of heart problems.

The condition can lead to serious complications, especially in older adults and those with weak immune systems.

The study showed that protective effect of the vaccine lasts for up to eight years and is particularly pronounced for men, people under the age of 60, and those with unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and being inactive.

"Our study suggests that the shingles vaccine may help lower the risk of heart disease, even in people without known risk factors. This means that vaccination could offer health benefits beyond preventing shingles," said Professor Dong Keon Yon from the Kyung Hee University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea.

The study included 1,271,922 people aged 50 or older living in South Korea.

The findings showed that among people who received the vaccine, there was a 23 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular events overall, with a 26 per cent lower risk of major cardiovascular events (a stroke, heart attack, or death from heart disease), a 26 per cent lower risk of heart failure and a 22 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease.

Yon explained that shingles infection can damage blood vessels, and cause inflammation and clot formation that can lead to heart disease. But vaccination may lower these risks.

“Our study found stronger benefits in younger people, probably due to a better immune response, and in 

Previous research shows that, without vaccination, about 30 per cent of people may develop shingles in their lifetime. Shingles vaccine can protect heart health up to 8 years: Study | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→June 09, 2025