Volume 22, Issue 16, Pages R615-R618 (August 2012) How ants find their way  Michael Gross  Current Biology  Volume 22, Issue 16, Pages R615-R618 (August 2012) DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.08.004 Copyright © 2012 Terms and Conditions

Path finders: Humans can use higher cognitive functions to combine information from a range of sources when they're trying to find their way, but how do insects achieve this? (Photo: Getty Images.) Current Biology 2012 22, R615-R618DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2012.08.004) Copyright © 2012 Terms and Conditions

Long run: Experimental setup used by Steck and colleagues to show that path integration in desert ants isn't affected by corrugated surfaces — if the corrugation is removed for the ant's return, it will still look for its nest in the right place. (Photo: Kathrin Steck.) Current Biology 2012 22, R615-R618DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2012.08.004) Copyright © 2012 Terms and Conditions

Vision thing: Perception of light plays several roles in insect navigation, including the input of compass information necessary for path integration, and the recognition of visual landmarks. (Photo: Science Photo Library.) Current Biology 2012 22, R615-R618DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2012.08.004) Copyright © 2012 Terms and Conditions

This way: Migratory birds use the Earth's magnetic field for navigation, but the precise nature of their ‘compass’ has remained elusive. New results add weight to the hypothesis that radical reactions are at the heart of it. (Photo: Getty Images.) Current Biology 2012 22, R615-R618DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2012.08.004) Copyright © 2012 Terms and Conditions