If you have visited an island like one of the Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti or Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, you may have noticed how small these land masses appear against the vast Pacific Ocean.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Christopher Palma, Penn State (THE CONVERSATION) If you have visited an island like ...

One of the most useful skills in early times was to be able to navigate using the stars. With this ability, sailors and explorers were able to venture through their lands and even discover new ones.

Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) use the stars to navigate during long-haul travel — an ability previously identified only in humans, birds, and possibly seals. After emerging from their cocoons, the ...