Can you imagine spending an entire day without using your smartphone? How would you feel if there was no remote control and you had to walk to your television set to switch the channel every time you wanted to? I bet sitting in public transport would be a torture without having a laptop or a tablet for entertainment. You might not have noticed, but by using many of these handy devices, we unconsciously use batteries every day. However, rarely do we recognize the importance of this ingenious idea that since its discovery, has been continuously helping mankind to move forward.
The very first battery prototype was developed in early 1800 by Alessandro Volta and was called the voltaic pile. It was literally a pile of pairs of copper and zinc on top of each other and separated by an electrolyte. Of course, every prototype of every invention is never perfect, and therefore, other scientists who saw the disadvantages of the voltaic pile started working on ways to improve it. Soon after the voltaic pile, other forms of early batteries were developed, such as the Daniel cell, the Edison battery, the Nickel-Cadmium battery, the alkaline and the latest type of battery – the lithium ion one. This advance in battery technology led to the rise of telegraphs and later telephones, eventually moving on to computers, mobile phones, and even electric cars.
Today, without batteries we wouldn’t be able to get through a blackout unharmed, or survive the total darkness when out in nature at night. A country that suffers regular power grid problems, such as Australia, has a huge need of hands-on substitute power options. And batteries are a cheap, available and easy to use power option. Moreover, Australia’s outback is a soft spot for outdoor enthusiasts. Because camping spots are usually remote and do not have lighting, all campers should carry with themselves alternative lighting sources powered by durable batteries Australia stores offer. Due to these two reasons, Australia stores are flooded with a wide range of batteries – from simple alkaline ones, to the latest rechargeable lithium ion technology. Without the many benefits of batteries Australia wouldn’t be the safe liveable place we know and love.
And there’s no end to the ways batteries can further improve our lives. Scientists are working on batteries that can store a lot more energy and thus make electric cars cheaper and widely available. This can in turn generate an incredibly positive effect on the environment. Imagine if we completely eliminated the need of gas and petrol powered vehicles (the greatest air pollutants) – there would be a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. This promises an almost ideal future where global warming would be a thing of the past and we wouldn’t need to breathe any longer the city smog. For these reasons, since 2015, Elon Musk, the Tesla founder and CEO, has been working on his plan to completely electrify both household and transportation devices with powerful super batteries.
Truly, batteries are the mark of the 20th century which helped propel technology and society in general and continues to do so to this very day. By tracing the evolution of the battery, you can trace the whole technological revolution that gave us portable computers, mobile phones, electric cars and an infinite list of high-end portable electrical devices. It’s safe to say that mankind wouldn’t be the same without the invention of the battery.