200-Year-Old Battery Is Still Going Strong!

How long do the batteries last in your TV remote? What about the battery in your phone or tablet? Probably not longer than you’ve been alive, but there is one battery out there that has been running since before any living human was born.

Scientists created a small battery 200 years ago that has been working continuously since 1840—making it the world’s longest-lasting battery!

In 1825, a company called Watkins and Hill created a battery inspired by an Italian physicist’s method. His design involved “dry piles.” Unlike most modern batteries, there is no liquid in dry piles. Instead, they’re made from extremely thin layers of metal separated by layers of paper. The design allows a large amount of power in the battery to flow out very slowly.

This dry pile battery operates a device that moves a hanging metal ball quickly back and forth between two small bells. The device, known as the Oxford Electric Bell, has been ringing continuously since 1840, and it has rung more than 10 billion times! Not to worry though, the bell’s ringing is barely audible.

The one outstanding question about the Oxford Electric Bell is how exactly the battery actually works. While scientists have made educated guesses over the years based on what they know about battery design from that time period, no one knows for sure because the battery has remained sealed—opening it could potentially cause the bell to stop ringing. It is considered the world’s longest-running science experiment, so no one wants to ruin the project prematurely!

Researchers will continue waiting until the battery’s charge dies or the ringing MECHANISM breaks. The Oxford Electric Bell has slowed down in recent decades, so it is possible it will run out of power in a few years. Considering that its original designers only thought it would run for a few years, it’s really anyone’s guess how long it could continue operating!