How does a magnetic compass work? Well, it’s all down to basic physics and human ingenuity. The key component of a standard baseplate compass is its magnetized needle, which is allowed to spin freely ...

Some bacterial species possess an astonishing ability: They use Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves. To better ...

Using a magnetic compass to calculate the current in a wire. Learn how magnetic fields, compass deflection, and basic electromagnetism principles connect in a practical physics experiment.

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) can learn to associate food with the geomagnetic signatures of various oceanic regions, suggesting that they are able to find known foraging areas using an ...

Pipistrelle bats have a magnetic compass and calibrate it at sunset, according to a new study. An international team of researchers has used behavioral experiments to show that two different ...

Atomic physicists “are jacks of all trades,” according to Alex Sushkov. “You have to have the idea, design the experiment, build the experiment, run the experiment, fix everything, take data, analyze ...

Many migratory birds use Earth’s magnetic field as a compass, but some can also use information from that field to determine more or less where they are on a mental map. Eurasian reed warblers ...

For desert ants, Earth’s magnetic field isn’t just a compass: It may also sculpt their brains. Stepping outside their nest for the first time, young ants need to learn how to forage. The ants train ...

Loggerhead turtles are able to sense the Earth’s magnetic field in two ways, but it wasn’t clear which sense the animals use to detect the magnetic field when navigating using the magnetic map they ...

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment. Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the ...