Potato to Power LED-lights and Electronics

Electricity is probably the most important resource nowadays, considering that the life in any modern city and country is unimaginable without it. Our every day life and almost all industries relay on it, so this is why many scientist are involved in researches for better power sources.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered some sort of unusual power source that could do really great job in remote areas without direct connection to the grid. We talk about... potato! Yes, something that is normally used for food could become now a source of energy for LED lights, cell phones and other electronics. And this isn't even a whole potato but a quarter of it boiled for 8 minutes. This unusual battery kit has also wired copper cathode and zinc anode.

[Image Source: Mogens Jacobsen]

“Potatoes were chosen because of their availability all over including the tropics and sub-tropics. They are the world’s fourth most abundant food crop.” said Haim Rabinowitch, an agricultural science professor who led the research, for the Science and Development Network.
However, the potato is not a power source. The function of this plant segment is to act like a salt bridge – it provides electric conductivity between the poles, which allows the electron current to flow across the wire, thus creating electricity.