NASA's Curiosity rover is being powered by a rod of a Plutonium 238 isotope. This is different than previous Mars rovers, which were powered by solar panels.
The technology, called a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, is actually a relatively old innovation used as far back as the Apollo missions.
It works by converting heat generated off the rod's radioactive decay into energy.
Here's NASA's official video explaining the device:
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