A team of researchers in the Stateshave reportedly developed a porous-silicon diode that converts very low levels of tritium radiation into electricity resulting in a Beta Battery that has an extraordinarily long life. Because the tritium, a radioactive hydrogen isotope, is embedded in the battery's plastic, there's no risk of radioactive contamination from the device.  And though they might be a hard sell to people looking to juice up their iPods or cell phones, BetaBatteries have clear applications in hard-to-service devices such as satellites and climate-monitoring equipment. An added benefit to BetaBatteries is their ruggedness, operating in temperature extremes from -148°F to 302°F. Because the tritium decays so slowly, BetaBatteries can theoretically provide power for decades -- possibly outliving the devices they were meant to run.