Trying to understand how a map relates to what’s on the ground can be tricky. It requires the brain to do a lot of stuff that it doesn’t customarily do daily. This is one of the reasons that ...

For decades, scientists have known that migratory birds use Earth’s geomagnetic field—along with light, stars, and other cues—to guide them on remarkably long journeys. But it is unclear just how ...

A compass that relies on polarised light can use the sun to tell where magnetic north is, even when it is cloudy. It is based on how some insects navigate and could be used when conventional magnetic ...