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 ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

Some inventions are so simple that it’s hard to improve them. The magnetic compass is a great example — a magnetized needle, a bit of cork, and a bowl of water are all you need to start navigating the ...

At some point during our primary school careers, most of us probably constructed a simple compass, often by floating a ...

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. #MagneticFi ...

Many of us treat magnetism like gravity -- for us Earthlings, it’ll always be there, and that compass will always point north... right? Well, believe it or not, Earth’s magnetic field has flipped back ...

An Egypt Air engineer believes magnetic compass deviation has been overlooked in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, ...

In the blink of an eye in geological time, Canada has lost one north pole but gained another, a new and different claim to be the true north ...

Desert ants find their way during an early learning phase with the help of the Earth's magnetic field. The associated learning process leaves clear traces in their nervous system. They are only a few ...