Letter: These batteries are not as shocking as all that

From Francis Banks, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas

I applaud your series on becoming a maker (How to be a maker, 11 May). We are in danger of forgetting the basics. But to imply that you can get a painful shock from a 9-volt battery is absurd – unless you connect it to your teeth, or have a coil with large inductance in the circuit. And you won't get much heat or damage from shorting a 9-volt battery, you'll just run it down fast.

Hannah Joshua writes:

Yes, shorting a 9-volt alkaline battery is not that bad, but doing the same to a lithium battery, for instance, could be dangerous. And it is important that everyone understands not to make themselves part of the circuit. When they make bigger things, it could be a lot more unpleasant.