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 ...

For the first time, researchers measured the magnetic pull inside a single bacterium, turning a biological mystery into hard numbers.

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 ...

Nocturnal insects may use both Earth's magnetic field and visual cues to guide their migratory flight behaviors, according to recent findings. The research, published in eLife, presents compelling ...

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 ...

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 ...

The magnetic compass is the last unknown sense in migrating animals. For some scientists, the monarch butterfly is leading the way. The magnetic compass is the last unknown sense in migrating animals.

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 ...