I have this old battery operated wall clock in my garage that has been sitting flat on a shelf for years not, not in use, with battery an AA battery that has not been replaced for years.  I just went into my garage and I heard a ticking sound.  To my amazement the clock had started to work.  I took out the battery and put it back in but it didn't start again.  The battery has one of those tester strips on the side.  It shows it has 0 power.  I tried the battery in another clock.  Nothing.  Perhaps someone had put a newish battery in the clock? but there were no finger prints on it (it's very dusty).  So what on earth is going on? Do I have a ghost, or something more rational?

 

10 hours ago, somewhereonearth said:

I have this old battery operated wall clock in my garage that has been sitting flat on a shelf for years not, not in use, with battery an AA battery that has not been replaced for years.  I just went into my garage and I heard a ticking sound.  To my amazement the clock had started to work.  I took out the battery and put it back in but it didn't start again.  The battery has one of those tester strips on the side.  It shows it has 0 power.  I tried the battery in another clock.  Nothing.  Perhaps someone had put a newish battery in the clock? but there were no finger prints on it (it's very dusty).  So what on earth is going on? Do I have a ghost, or something more rational?

 

 

Your experience is not suprising or unusual.

The chemical reactions that provide the electricity don't stop completely, they just get slower and slower and slower....
Eventually they get to a state that they can't provide the necessary current to drive the clock continuously so it goes in fits and starts, the time between the starts gradually lengthening until it is stopped more than it is going.
It probably 'started'  (and stoped) several times when you were not there.

Does this help ?

I have tried the battery again in the second clock and it has been working for the last hour.  The battery has been in doors all day where it is warm, but the strip on the side still shows it as dead.  Also I have noticed it has the date March 2018 on it, which is apparently the expiration date. Spooky.

25 minutes ago, somewhereonearth said:

Spooky

As studiot has pointed out, it is not spooky at all.

Just now, zapatos said:

As studiot has pointed out, it is not spooky at all.

I know, I didn't mean it seriously.  Even Einstein used the term spooky to describe something scientific. 

I think the term spooky can be used to describe something that hasn't or can't be explained, without it meaning ghosts. 

This might just be what Einstein might have referred to as un-spooky action at no distance...

1 hour ago, somewhereonearth said:

I know, I didn't mean it seriously.  Even Einstein used the term spooky to describe something scientific. 

I think the term spooky can be used to describe something that hasn't or can't be explained, without it meaning ghosts. 

Yep. You are right. 😊