Study finds that dolphins may be able to detect magnetic fields

Study finds that dolphins may be able to detect magnetic fields
(Image credit: iStock)

A new study suggests that dolphins are attracted to magnets and can detect magnetic fields in objects.

Researchers at the University of Rennes 1 and the University Institute of France observed how six bottleneck dolphins responded to both magnetized and demagnetized barrels. The study, published in The Science of Nature, found that dolphins may be magnetosensitive — a.k.a., they can sense Earth's magnetic field.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.