Latest news with #navigation
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- Science
- News.com.au
Moth uses stars to navigate long distances, scientists discover
A species of Australian moth travels up to a thousand kilometres every summer using the stars to navigate, scientists said Wednesday, the first time this talent has been discovered in an invertebrate covering vast distances. When temperatures start rising every year, Bogong moths embark on the long night-time flight from their home on the country's eastern coast to the cool inland shelter of caves in the Australian Alps. It has recently been discovered that they can use Earth's magnetic field like a compass to stay on track during their trip of up to 1,000 kilometres (620 miles). Now, a study published in the journal Nature has found that the moths can also use the light from the stars and the Milky Way to find their way through the dark. "This is the first invertebrate that's known to be able to use the stars for that purpose," study co-author Eric Warrant of Sweden's Lund University told AFP. The only other invertebrate known to use stars for orientation are dung beetles -- but that is over very short distances, Warrant said. Out of all the animal kingdom, only some birds, possibly seals and of course humans can use starlight to navigate long distance. Bogong moths, which are around three centimetres long and are named after the Indigenous Australian word for brown, now join that list. - 'Flight simulator' - To study this phenomenon, the international team of researchers put some Bogong moths in a small enclosure and projected different maps of the night sky onto its ceiling. The moth was tethered to a rod connected to the top of the enclosure, which precisely recorded which directions it tried to fly in. This "flight simulator" first confirmed that Bogong moths can in fact navigate using their internal magnetic compass, lead study author David Dreyer, also of Lund University, told AFP. Then the researchers removed the effect of Earth's magnetic field in the enclosure. "To our surprise," the moths were still able to find the right direction, Dreyer said. When they rotated the sky 180 degrees, the moths changed their flight to follow along. And when the researchers projected weird, incorrect maps of the night sky, the moths became erratic and lost. This reinforced that the insects can not only navigate by the sky, but can follow along during the night when the relative positions of the stars shift along with Earth's rotation. - Mysteries abound - No one knows exactly how the Bogong moth manages this feat. One theory is that they sometimes "cross-check" their direction with their magnetic compass, Dreyer said. Another question is exactly which stars the moths are using to navigate. In the lab, the researchers monitored 30 neurons involved in the moth's vision, coordination and navigation. Developing the system of non-magnetic electrodes "cost me a fortune but it was worth the investment," Warrant said. The neurons became particularly active at the sight of the long, bright stripe of the Milky Way, as well as the Carina Nebula. The Milky Way is brighter in the Southern Hemisphere than in the north, Warrant pointed out. "The intensity of that stripe grows as you go from the northern part of the sky to the southern part," which could offer a clue as to how the moths use it to navigate south, Warrant said. Another mystery is how the moths know when to head south when summer arrives. Warrant, who is supervising further research on this subject, said one option is that this knowledge was simply "something that the parents hand to their children". The researchers believe that near the end of the moth's long migration, they start noticing clues they are getting close to their mountain refuge. Warrant said he has identified a specific "odour compound" which emanates from the caves. This smell "seems to act as a navigational beacon right at the very end of the journey," he added. After the moths have seen out the sweltering summer, they return to their coastal birthplace to reproduce before dying. pcl-dl/jj
Phone Arena
12 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Update to Google Maps in selected markets adds interesting AI feature
Google Maps has pushed out an update that is meant for users of the app in Europe. When you type in your destination, Google Maps typically searches for multiple routes for the navigation option you've selected (car, walking, public transportation, etc.). However, with the addition of AI, Google Maps will check the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of other modes to your destination. If you can reach your destination faster using public transportation or by walking, you'll see those directions on the display instead of directions for driving. If a different mode of transportation is faster than driving, Google Maps will show you directions using that mode. | Image credit-PhoneArena For example, let's say that you have Google Maps set up for driving directions and the app determines that you'll reach your destination faster by taking public transportation. Google Maps will then show you those suggested routes. Not only will you arrive earlier, by taking the bus you are reducing pollution, conserving gas, and doing your part to protect and preserve natural resources. This new feature is available in 60 European cities including Stockholm, Warsaw. and Copenhagen. In Europe, cycling is huge and Google Maps is adding cycling navigation to 17 new cities with nine of them located in Europe. The app now shows 125,000 kilometers (equal to 77,671 miles) of bike lanes in cities such as Hamburg, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Zurich, Budapest, Vienna, and Brussels. Google is using data obtained from local governments and public authorities. Since Google Maps is looking to get travelers to be more judicious in their consumption of natural resources, it now offers fuel-efficient routes worldwide. Previously, this feature was available only in certain regions. When you type a destination on the app, the fuel-efficient route is listed as an alternative. Each route also shows its ETA so that you'll know how much later you'll arrive at your destination by taking the more fuel-efficient option. Fuel-efficient directions show you how much gas you'll save when using this route. | Image credit-PhoneArena Google Maps is also adding support for low-emission zones which will impact drivers in Italy, Sweden, Austria, and other locations. Google Maps will send alerts that will "check if your vehicle is allowed in these zones." You can ask the app to create an alternate route that bypasses the low-emission zones. Google Maps will support over 1,000 low-emission zones. Google Maps now supports low-emission zones and will let you know if your car can drive into this zone. | Image credit-PhoneArena Project Green Light uses AI and Google Maps driving trends to help recommend to cities how they can improve their existing traffic light cycles. Project Green Light is available in 20 cities across four continents. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Science
- BBC News
Australian moth uses starlight to travel thousands of miles
Scientists have discovered what they say is the first known invertebrate that uses the sky for long distance navigation.A species of Australian moth, called the bogong moth, uses the light from the stars and the Milky Way to find its way through the summer the insects travel more than 600 miles from the east coast of the country to find cooler have now discovered that they can use the Earth's magnetic field like a compass, or sat nav, to stay on track during their journey. What did scientists discover? Until now, only humans and certain species of birds and seals were thought to be able to use starlight to navigate long it seems a species of Australian month can be added to that moths, are a small species of moth, around three centimetres long, which are named after the Indigenous Australian word for year, when temperatures start rising, they set off on a long night-time flight across the fly from their home on Australia's eastern coast to the cool inland shelter of caves in the Australian Alps.A study published in the journal Nature has found that these small insects can also use the light from the stars and our galaxy, the Milky Way, to find their way through the dark skies. An international team of researchers put some Bogong moths in an enclosure and projected different maps of the night sky onto its then removed the effect of Earth's magnetic field and to their surprise the moths were still able to find the right direction by using the when they rotated the sky 180 degrees, the moths changed their flight to follow along. When scientists then projected weird, incorrect maps of the night sky, the moths became of the study, Eric Warrant from Sweden's Lund University, said: "This is the first invertebrate that's known to be able to use the stars for that purpose."The researchers also believe that near to the end of the moths' long migration, they start noticing clues they are getting close to their mountain Warrant added he has identified a specific smell which comes from the smell "seems to act as a navigational beacon right at the very end of the journey," he added.
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Wall Street Journal
How You Can Turn a Traffic Jam Into a Backroad Adventure
For the longest time I believed that you should always stay on the highway during a traffic jam because taking alternate routes would simply slow you down. The conventional wisdom stipulated that the shortest route between two points was the route you were already on, so you should just grin and bear it. Resist the temptation to leave the highway because you'll either get lost or you'll end up in yet another traffic jam caused by all the other drivers who allowed GPS to redirect them.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Moth uses stars to navigate long distances, scientists discover
A species of Australian moth travels up to a thousand kilometres every summer using the stars to navigate, scientists said Wednesday, the first time this talent has been discovered in an invertebrate covering vast distances. When temperatures start rising every year, Bogong moths embark on the long night-time flight from their home on the country's eastern coast to the cool inland shelter of caves in the Australian Alps. It has recently been discovered that they can use Earth's magnetic field like a compass to stay on track during their trip of up to 1,000 kilometres (620 miles). Now, a study published in the journal Nature has found that the moths can also use the light from the stars and the Milky Way to find their way through the dark. "This is the first invertebrate that's known to be able to use the stars for that purpose," study co-author Eric Warrant of Sweden's Lund University told AFP. The only other invertebrate known to use stars for orientation are dung beetles -- but that is over very short distances, Warrant said. Out of all the animal kingdom, only some birds, possibly seals and of course humans can use starlight to navigate long distance. Bogong moths, which are around three centimetres long and are named after the Indigenous Australian word for brown, now join that list. - 'Flight simulator' - To study this phenomenon, the international team of researchers put some Bogong moths in a small enclosure and projected different maps of the night sky onto its ceiling. The moth was tethered to a rod connected to the top of the enclosure, which precisely recorded which directions it tried to fly in. This "flight simulator" first confirmed that Bogong moths can in fact navigate using their internal magnetic compass, lead study author David Dreyer, also of Lund University, told AFP. Then the researchers removed the effect of Earth's magnetic field in the enclosure. "To our surprise," the moths were still able to find the right direction, Dreyer said. When they rotated the sky 180 degrees, the moths changed their flight to follow along. And when the researchers projected weird, incorrect maps of the night sky, the moths became erratic and lost. This reinforced that the insects can not only navigate by the sky, but can follow along during the night when the relative positions of the stars shift along with Earth's rotation. - Mysteries abound - No one knows exactly how the Bogong moth manages this feat. One theory is that they sometimes "cross-check" their direction with their magnetic compass, Dreyer said. Another question is exactly which stars the moths are using to navigate. In the lab, the researchers monitored 30 neurons involved in the moth's vision, coordination and navigation. Developing the system of non-magnetic electrodes "cost me a fortune but it was worth the investment," Warrant said. The neurons became particularly active at the sight of the long, bright stripe of the Milky Way, as well as the Carina Nebula. The Milky Way is brighter in the Southern Hemisphere than in the north, Warrant pointed out. "The intensity of that stripe grows as you go from the northern part of the sky to the southern part," which could offer a clue as to how the moths use it to navigate south, Warrant said. Another mystery is how the moths know when to head south when summer arrives. Warrant, who is supervising further research on this subject, said one option is that this knowledge was simply "something that the parents hand to their children". The researchers believe that near the end of the moth's long migration, they start noticing clues they are getting close to their mountain refuge. Warrant said he has identified a specific "odour compound" which emanates from the caves. This smell "seems to act as a navigational beacon right at the very end of the journey," he added. After the moths have seen out the sweltering summer, they return to their coastal birthplace to reproduce before dying. pcl-dl/jj
