FYI,

Do consider the source before getting too excited about this.

"Russians Harness Star Power in New Battery"
AFP/Physorg.com
http://www.physorg.com/news67796415.html

: Russian scientists have invented a battery that can capture energy
: not only from the sun, but also from the stars, the head of a
: research institute at the Dubna Nuclear Institute, near Moscow,
: said on Thursday.

: "The scientists have successfully created a new substance,"
: Valentin Samoilov announced, "thanks to which this battery can
: work on earth, independently of meteorological conditions, using
: solar and stellar energy.

: "This is a battery like no other", Samoilov, who head's the
: Institute's center for applied research, told the Itar-Tass news
: agency, explaining that it could function 24 hours a day and was
: twice as effective as an ordinary solar panel at converting light
: into electricity.

: Moreover, Samoilov declared, the new battery was cheaper than a
: solar panel.

Mark Reiff