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 ...

Trying to understand how a map relates to what’s on the ground can be tricky. It requires the brain to do a lot of stuff that it doesn’t customarily do daily. This is one of the reasons that ...

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 ...