Research from Harvard University published in the British Medical Journal shows that taxi and ambulance drivers have a lower risk of dying from Alzheimer’s disease compared to other workers.
This is likely because navigation and spatial memory, which are affected by Alzheimer’s, are related to the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is first affected by the disease. Both taxi and ambulance drivers, however, have a lower life expectancy, with averages of 68 and 64 years respectively, and Alzheimer’s typically affects individuals over 65.
Despite the convenience of GPS, there is an argument against it as it may impact memory and spatial skills, leading to a “use it or lose it” situation. Studies have shown that reliance on GPS, such as Google Maps, can affect our ability to navigate without it.
Surviving without GPS for 24 hours can be challenging, requiring individuals to rely on traditional navigation methods. The author shares a personal experience of getting lost while trying to find a bar without GPS, highlighting the reliance on technology for navigation.
The author reflects on the importance of traditional navigation tools like maps and the need to maintain spatial awareness. Despite advancements in technology, like GPS, the author acknowledges the value of traditional navigation methods.
Navigating without GPS can be a daunting task, especially in areas with complex layouts and limited landmarks. The author shares the struggle of finding a location without GPS and the sense of accomplishment when finally reaching the destination.
Central London, with its mix of landmarks and modern developments, poses unique challenges for navigation. Even with technology, such as GPS, finding specific locations can be difficult due to unconventional addressing methods.
Despite the challenges of navigating without GPS, the author finds satisfaction in finally reaching their destination, emphasizing the importance of traditional navigation skills.
Giant reed warbler migrating between Europe and Africa
AGAMI Photo Agency / Alamy Stock
Many migratory birds use the Earth's magnetic field as a compass, and others can use information from that field to more or less determine where they are on their mental map.
Greater Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus skillupaceus) appears to calculate geographic location by drawing data from various distances and angles between the magnetic field and the shape of the Earth. The study suggests that birds use magnetic information as a kind of “GPS,” telling them not only where to go, but also their initial whereabouts, they said. richard holland At Bangor University, UK.
“When we travel, we have a map that shows us where we are and a compass that shows us which direction to go to reach our destination,” he says. “We don't expect birds to have this much precision or knowledge about the entire planet. Yet, when they travel along their normal path, or even when they travel far from that path, they , and observe how the magnetic cues change.”
Scientists have known for decades that migratory birds rely on cues from the ocean. solar, star and earth's magnetic field To decide which direction to go. But using a compass to figure out direction and knowing where a bird is in the world are markedly different, and scientists are wondering if and how birds figure out their current map location. I'm still debating whether to do it or not.
Florian Packmore Germany's Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park Administration suspected that birds could detect detailed aspects of magnetic fields to determine their global location. Specifically, magnetic obliquity (the change in the angle of the Earth's surface relative to magnetic field lines) and magnetic declination (the difference in orientation between the geographic and magnetic poles) are used to better understand where you are in the world. He thought he might be able to do it.
To test their theory, Packmore, Holland and colleagues captured 21 adult reed warblers in Illmitz, Austria, on their migration route from Europe to Africa. So the researchers temporarily placed the birds in an outdoor aviary, where they used a Helmholtz coil to disrupt the magnetic field. They artificially altered the inclination and declination in a way that corresponded to the location of Neftekamsk, Russia, 2,600 kilometers away. “That's way off course for them,” Packmore says.
The researchers then placed the birds in special cages to study their migratory instincts and asked two independent researchers, who were unaware of changes in the magnetic field, to record which direction the birds headed. In the changed magnetic field conditions, most birds showed a clear tendency to fly west-southwest, as if trying to return to their migratory route from Russia. In contrast, when the magnetic field was unchanged, the same birds attempted to fly south-southeast from Austria.
This suggests that the birds believed they were no longer in Austria, but Russia, based solely on magnetic inclination and declination, Packmore said.
“Of course they don't know it's Russia, but it's too far north and east from where they should be,” Holland says. “And at that point, they look at their compass system and figure out how to fly south and west.”
However, the neurological mechanisms that allow birds to sense these aspects of the Earth's magnetic field are still not fully understood.
“This is an important step in understanding how the magnetic maps of songbirds, especially the great reed warbler, work,” he says. Nikita Chernetsov The professor at the Institute of Zoology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg was not involved in the study.
The study confirms that the great reed warbler relies on these magnetic fields for positioning, but that doesn't mean all birds do, he added. “Not all birds work the same.”
Packmore and Holland said the birds were released two to three weeks after the study, at which point they were able to continue their normal migration. In fact, one of the birds they studied was captured a second time a year later. This means that the researchers' work did not interfere with the birds' successful migration.
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