potato battery

I just came across this interesting video about making batteries out of boiled potatoes. Turns out the potato works 10 times better as a battery if we boil it first, thereby reaching a total output to nearly half that of a normal AA battery. (I wonder if French fries work as well as boiled potatoes). Since potatoes are cheap, have a long shelf life and can be stored without refrigeration, they show good potential as a cheap energy source for millions of people in the developing countries. Furthemore, the boiled potato elecricity is between 5 and 50 times cheaper than its commercial equivalent and is at least 6 times more economical than kerocene lamps. See the original Reuters News video below: “Israeli researchers develop a more efficient version of the age-old science experiment, the potato battery, which could provide a [...]