Summary
Scientists have identified a part of the brain that acts like an internal mileage clock, helping both rats and humans estimate the distance they have traveled. Using an experiment with rats and a similar test with human volunteers, researchers showed that changing the environment can disrupt this brain function, leading to errors in distance estimation.
Key Facts
- Scientists recorded brain activity in rats to find the "mileage clock."
- This clock helps rats and humans gauge travel distance correctly.
- The study was published in the scientific journal Current Biology.
- In a rat experiment, cells in the brain reacted every 30 cm the rat traveled.
- Altering the environment made these cells behave irregularly, causing estimation errors.
- A similar experiment with humans showed that changes in the environment affected their ability to estimate distance.
- The research suggests the brain uses a regular pattern of cell activity for navigation.
