I find this fascinating. A team of Czech and German scientists (mostly Czechs, guessing by the names) did a research study and found that dogs, whenever conditions permit, align themselves on a north-south axis when they poop. Like birds, sea turtles, and maybe cows, dogs are sensitive to the Earth’s magnetic field.
Of course, most people commenting on the story just wanted to make jokes about dog poop or say “I can’t see why scientists are wasting their time on stupid stuff like this.”
He’s probably facing either due north or due south
Morons. Maybe it will lead to a better understanding about evolution and the diversity of life, different survival strategies of different species. If we eventually do meet an intelligent species from another planet, and they can perceive magnetism as easily as we can see, we will be darned glad this research was done.
Maybe, eventually, we will be able to train dogs to poop in designated spots, and a few well placed magnets will be the canine equivalent of kitty litter.
I don’t know how it will prove to be useful, but I am confident that it will eventually prove to be useful. That’s the amazing thing about pure science. Some people are researching the direction dogs face when they poop. Some people are researching why butterflies see colors people can’t. Some people are researching sun spots. Some people are researching the migration patterns of birds. Some people are researching whether there’s a difference in IQ between people who prefer regular fries and curly fries. Some day it will all come together.
Knowledge does not go away and every piece of it helps us to put the whole puzzle together.
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