Nuclear Battery The Size of a Penny

This news story has a bit of a scary ring to it, but University of Missouri researchers are developing a nuclear battery that is not only the size of a penny, but "can provide power density that is six orders of magnitude higher than chemical batteries."

"To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density," said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU.

Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, currently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS). Although nuclear batteries can pose concerns, Kwon said they are safe.

"People hear the word