GPS | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/gps/RSS feed for GPSenFri, 05 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000Because of a Mathematician From Rural Virginia’s Work on Global Positioning, You Have No Excuse for Getting Losthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/gladys-west-gives-directions-180988807/Gladys West had an “insatiable thirst for knowledge.” She used computers, radars and satellites to make calculations that led to the GPS technology that allows us to pinpoint any spot on the globeFri, 05 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/gladys-west-gives-directions-180988807/Why Do Some People Always Get Lost?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-some-people-always-get-lost-180984152/Research suggests that experience may matter more than innate ability when it comes to a sense of directionThu, 18 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-some-people-always-get-lost-180984152/The U.S. Is Giving Away Lighthouses for Freehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lighthouses-give-away-free-180982261/While they are no longer a navigational necessity, the guiding lights have histories worth preservingTue, 30 May 2023 19:12:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lighthouses-give-away-free-180982261/NASA’s 'Smiling Sun' Image Is a Reminder of the Threat of Solar Windhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-smiling-sun-image-is-a-reminder-of-the-threat-of-solar-wind-180981074/Coronal holes on the sun can release jets of charged particles that may interfere with Earth's atmosphereWed, 09 Nov 2022 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-smiling-sun-image-is-a-reminder-of-the-threat-of-solar-wind-180981074/Utah Captures and Collars First Wolverine in State Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/utah-captures-and-collars-first-wolverine-in-state-history-180979765/The state has only confirmed eight wolverine sightings in 40 years. Data from the GPS collar will provide invaluable insights about the elusive speciesMon, 21 Mar 2022 19:57:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/utah-captures-and-collars-first-wolverine-in-state-history-180979765/Sneaky Magpies Outwit Scientists by Removing Tracking Deviceshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sneaky-magpies-outwit-scientists-by-removing-tracking-devices-180979634/The trackers were supposed to track movement behaviors but instead uncovered an unusual problem-solving behaviorFri, 25 Feb 2022 11:24:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sneaky-magpies-outwit-scientists-by-removing-tracking-devices-180979634/After 462 Days At Sea, a Mini Boat Launched by New Hampshire Middle School Students Washed Ashore in Norwayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mini-boat-launched-by-middle-school-students-in-new-hampshire-found-in-norway-after-462-days-at-sea-180979625/The little boat traveled over 8,000 miles across the Atlantic and was found by a sixth grade student in NorwayWed, 23 Feb 2022 21:30:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mini-boat-launched-by-middle-school-students-in-new-hampshire-found-in-norway-after-462-days-at-sea-180979625/Experience a Day in the Life of a Wild Wolf, as Seen in Stunning Collar-Cam Footagehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/camera-collar-captures-first-ever-montage-wild-wolf-fishing-180977553/A perfect summer adventure for a wolf in Minnesota seems to be spent fishing and napping Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/camera-collar-captures-first-ever-montage-wild-wolf-fishing-180977553/How Do Dogs Find Their Way Home? They Might Sense Earth's Magnetic Fieldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-lassie-find-timmy-all-those-times-it-may-have-been-magnetic-180975414/Our canine companions aren't the only animals that may be capable of magnetoreceptionMon, 27 Jul 2020 14:57:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-lassie-find-timmy-all-those-times-it-may-have-been-magnetic-180975414/Albatrosses Outfitted With GPS Trackers Detect Illegal Fishing Vesselshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/albatrosses-outfitted-with-gps-detect-illegal-fishing-vessels-180974054/By utilizing the majestic birds to monitor huge swaths of the sea, law enforcement and conservationists could keep better tabs on illicit activitiesMon, 27 Jan 2020 20:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/albatrosses-outfitted-with-gps-detect-illegal-fishing-vessels-180974054/