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 ...

The compass—oldest known navigating instrument—has been revolutionized. Last week Bendix Aviation Corp. announced a new automatic compass that makes the old magnetic needle* look as obsolete as a ...

Scientists understand that Earth's magnetic field has flipped its polarity many times over the millennia. In other words, if you were alive about 800,000 years ago, and facing what we call north with ...

The magnetic compass of birds is light-dependent 9,10, and exhibits strong lateralization with input coming primarily from the right eye 11. However, the primary biophysical process underlying this ...