The document summarizes the thermoelectric effect, which is the direct conversion of temperature differences into electric voltage and vice versa. It was discovered in the 1820s by Thomas Seebeck and Jean Peltier. The effect occurs due to charge carrier diffusion and phonon drag in materials. Thermoelectric modules use pairs of P-type and N-type semiconductors to generate electricity from heat gradients or create cooling by using electricity. Some applications of thermoelectric generators include cooling computers, drink coolers, recharging devices, and powering space probes.