While we're on batteries...

Yesterday whiel doing a perfunctory cleanup I came across the Canon 580EX II
flash I'd packed in a carrying case (when visiting a friend) almost a year
ago. The 2700 mAh NiMH PowerEx (MAHA) cells had not been charged since then.
When I turned the flash on, it came to full charge in less than three
seconds.

The cells measured 1.274V, 1.283V, 1.285V, and 1.286V, all higher than the
nominal 1.25V of a NiMH cell. (NiMHs generally come out of a full charge at
around 1.4V.) That's pretty good performance for a cell that's supposed to
"drop dead" within a few weeks of its last charge.

So I ask... Where did this belief that NiMH cells rapidly self-discharge
come from? I never believed it, and here's strong evidence it just isn't
true.