Nuclear waste is usually a big headache, but it could soon become a source of clean energy. Researchers have developed a way to turn such waste into batteries using diamond. If you manage to enclose the radioactive material in an artificial diamond, then a small electrical discharge can be generated, completely blocking the harmful radiation. Although the team used the nickel isotope for their research, they ultimately expect to do so using the carbon isotope found in the graphite blocks of nuclear power plants.
Batteries won't generate much energy, but their longevity will be determined by the radiation itself. Researchers estimate that the carbon battery will generate 50% of its power for 5730 years. Most likely, such batteries will be used in high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles, pacemakers, spacecraft - wherever battery replacement is difficult or impossible. Also, for example, batteries can be used in interstellar probes, which will continue to power them long after the solar energy runs out.
Any practical application of this is still far enough away, and there are some notable problems. For example, cost. The diamond is expensive, so it may not be profitable to convert large amounts of nuclear waste into batteries. This is assuming that the technology works as intended. Nevertheless, there is a hope that the waste from nuclear reactors will not just lie idle and pose a potential threat, but can be used for something useful.