Why did batteries from 20 years ago corrode and ruin electronics and why doesn’t this happen anymore?
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About 20 years ago, the most popular and effective battery was an alkaline battery. They are made of a number of chemicals, some of which would [become caustic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_battery#Leaks) when exposed to air. The reason is in the article, but the ELI5 is that cheap batteries can not be built strong enough to resist everything that will happen to it over time so they will eventually break a little and then leak. Once they start leaking, those caustic chemicals will convert copper into crystals, ruining the circuits. This will happen faster if electricity is going through the copper at the time, which is why it affects a circuit more than just the parts closest to the battery.
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