Batteries were invented in the early 1800’s by Alessandro Volta. He invented the first battery which was known as the Voltaic Cell, consisting of two plates of different metals which were then immersed in a chemical solution in order to produce it’s electrical working current.The first rechargeable battery wasn’t invented until late 1859 by a French physicist called Gaston Planté. The battery was based on lead acid, this is something that is still used today. Since then many companies have worked to advance batteries into what we use today.
One-third of #batteries are thrown away with 70% of their #power left
— Michael Evans (@mikeevansdevon) August 4, 2015
Disposable dinosaurs
However, now in the 21st century, batteries may as well be dinosaurs. Who uses disposable batteries anymore, I mean haven’t you heard of a charger?
Crazy people talking bout the good ol’ before rechargeable batteries on the bus… #keepinportlandweird #rechargablebatteries
— Henry Stender (@_HenryStender_) June 17, 2014
#oldschool too bad #rechargablebatteries werent readily available back then pic.twitter.com/7U7O4HlORx
— Nathan (@shoobey) May 11, 2015
In all seriousness, I think back to my childhood when life without batteries was unbearable, nothing was more upsetting than on Christmas morning the toy you’d been waiting months to receive was plastered with that big gloomy label that said ‘batteries not included’.Either that or you’d run into your parents secret stash of batteries to have your heart broken once again when you realised your inconsiderate siblings had taken the last ones and left nothing behind but the empty box.
So in the spirit of reminiscing I give you my top three battery operated items I couldn’t live without – and because now in my 20’s the only battery operated gadget I own is my TV remote, (my beloved iPhone doesn’t count) I’m going to give you a list that all 90’s kids will be able to relate to:
The Gameboy
If you weren’t fighting with your siblings over games, you’d be fighting over the batteries, because if the battery died, you’d definitely have a war on your hands.
I always remember whenever my parents took us on holiday my mum would make a list of things to pack. Always at the top would be to remember to take multiple packs of batteries to stop us kids from killing each other. (It worked, we survived our childhood years).
Furbies
These little balls of fun, that would always make a very depressing noise like a dying animal when the batteries were going to die. As scary as the noise was when you’d accidentally leave it turned on and you’d hear things go bump in the night because of it, it was always a great warning sign to prevent the inevitable Furby death if you didn’t change the batteries in time.
[Image: Valerie Everett /Flickr]
The Tamagotchi
The only pet your parents trusted you with and it’s the one toy you got so emotionally attached to it really was like having a real-life pet.
so i missed my tamagotchi cause it died like back in 2001 pic.twitter.com/7barwo2yOD
— ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ (@Just_Asas) August 5, 2015
However, I think all of us have gone through that period in their childhood when every Christmas you would beg your parents for a puppy. If you got one well done you must have been really good to Santa that year. For the rest of us though, we got Tamagotchi’s and god forbid you forgot to change the batteries and it would die, it really would be the end of the world. Plus then you’d have to deal with the ‘I told you so’ speech from your parents as to why you weren’t responsible enough to take care of a real animal.
I like to think that somewhere out there the Tamagotchi I abandoned is alive and well with its own little family.
— Philip DeFranco (@PhillyD) August 6, 2015
So when I was a kid, they were my top three items I couldn’t live without and the only reason I didn’t have to live without them was because of batteries, so thank god for those little disposable beauties.
Anyone seen the remote?
With new technology we often take things for granted, but you have to remember that every new piece of technology is developed from something older. You love Netflix? Most TV’s can’t be turned on now without your battery operated TV remote, so think about that the next time you’re charging up your gadgets!
