Kind of like a solar panel’s evil-twin brother. 

This groundbreaking device, known as a “shadow-effect energy generator,” was developed by Swee Ching Tan, a materials scientist at the National University of Singapore.

Without going full nerd-mode on the details, the device basically uses the contrast between light and dark to generate a flow of electricity strong enough to power small electronics. 

If you want to go full-nerd mode on the deets, we fully support you, have at it. 

While devices like this one won’t necessarily revolutionize the electric power industry (yet), it’s a step forward towards a future where renewable energy is far more commonplace. 

“We can harvest energy anywhere on Earth, not just open spaces,” Tan told Science News.

“A lot of people think that shadows are useless,” Tan adds. “Anything can be useful, even shadows.”