Calling science types...battery question

[Lucindainthesky]

We have one of those light boxes that you put letters in. It's operated by AA batteries which died months ago and haven't been replaced.

Watching TV tonight and it suddenly lights up. I don't have a scientific brain at all so wondering why and how that could happen?

We had an Easter chick toy thing that ran on batteries. We thought they were long since dead until one evening the darn thing started cheeping by itself. We had to hunt all over dc's bedroom to find it.
So it can happen, but not sure how.

Maybe something to do with static in the air?

Here is the answer!!
Read it all !

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/16dd4n/whydooelectronicsrandomlyyturnonnwhenlowwon/

Thank you!