The magnetic compass that birds use for orientation is affected by polarized light. That is the finding of researchers in Sweden, who studied zebra finches navigating a simple maze and found that the ...

Multiple direct magnetic courses can be displayed for the same two points due to magnetic variation, the difference between true and magnetic north. These discrepancies arise because magnetic ...

GPS navigators calculate magnetic courses for RNAV approaches based on dynamic declination, often differing by a few degrees from static FAA chart values and VORs. Despite these magnetic course ...

Simply sign up to the Science myFT Digest -- delivered directly to your inbox. Navigators have relied upon it for centuries. More recently it has become an essential aid in everything from smartphone ...