# Pigeons home by smell ???



## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

Found this in the internet, in the online portal of Gaurdian (its an archived old article yet said to be on basis of scientific experiments)

_*Pigeons' homing instinct is all down to smell * 

Robin McKie, science editor
The Observer, Sunday 6 August 2006
Article history

*Scientists have discovered the secret of pigeons' remarkable ability to navigate perfectly over journeys of several hundred miles. They do it by smell. 

Research found that pigeons create 'odour' maps of their neighbourhoods and use these to orient themselves. This replaces the idea that they exploited subtle variations in the Earth's magnetic field to navigate. 

'This is important because it is the first time that magnetic sensing and smell have been tested side by side,' said Anna Gagliardo, of the University of Pisa, who led the research. 

The discovery that birds have an olfactory positioning system is the latest surprising discovery about bird migration. Birds know exactly when to binge on berries or insects to fatten themselves for long flights, and some species recognise constellations, which helps them to fly at night. Birds also travel immense distances: the average Manx shearwater travels five million miles during its life. 

Research into navigation has included an experiment in which robins were released with a patch over one eye - some on the right eye, some on the left. The left-eye-patched robins navigated well, but those with right-eye patches got hopelessly lost. 'It is a very strange finding,' said Graham Appleton, of the British Trust for Ornithology . 'It is clear the cues robins use to navigate are only detectable in one eye. Why that should be the case, I have no idea.' 

In the Pisa experiments, Gagliardo, working with Martin Wild of the University of Auckland , followed up experiments done in 2004, which showed that pigeons could detect magnetic fields. She argued that this did not mean they actually did. 

So in 24 young homing pigeons she cut the nerves that carried olfactory signals to their brains. In another 24 pigeons she cut the trigeminal nerve, which is linked to the part of the brain involved in detecting magnetic fields. 

The 48 birds were released 30 miles from their loft. All but one of those deprived of their ability to detect magnetic fields were home within 24 hours, indicating that it was not an ability that helped them to navigate. But those who had been deprived of their sense of smell fluttered all over the skies of northern Italy. Only four made it home. 

Gagliardo and her team conclude that pigeons read the landscape as a patchwork of odours. 

Every spring, hundreds of millions of birds head north in order to exploit new resources. Gulls head to the Arctic to make use of the 24 hours of daylight prevailing there, while swallows and other birds leave Africa to exploit the British summertime. 

The navigation involved in these long journeys is still a cause of considerable debate among scientists. Among the main theories are suggestions that some birds remember visual maps of the terrain they fly over; that they follow the lines of Earth's magnetic field; and that night-time flyers remember star maps of the sky. 

However, the discovery of pigeons' prowess at exploiting smells is considered important because their navigational abilities are some of the most acute in the natural world. Pigeons excel at getting home when released in unfamiliar locations. That they achieve such accuracy using smell is all the more surprising*_

I really have doubts on this finding, what do you people have to say

Here is the original link http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/aug/06/theobserver.theobserversuknewspages


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## DEEJAY7950 (Dec 13, 2006)

Boy this theory of smell is very hard to believe, I can't imagine smell lingering around long enough to guide a bird home? Yes I do understand how a scent travels with the wind but I don;t think the smell would stay for long so I believe it to be a combination of things that the birds use for navigation and not any one thing that controls it JMHO!


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I think it's one of their tricks in getting home, but I seriously doubt it is a major one. Probably only kicks in when they're already close to home.


Oh and I just noticed the article was published on my birthday, LOL.


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## JRNY (Nov 17, 2009)

I doubt its smell. Heard of birds never been flown and given away and comeback to the loft.


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

If they did not use the earths magnetic field then how could cell phone towers "interfere" with their homing ability. I read a story of a smash race that was caused by the supersonic jet "Concord" flying over the race flight line. If I remember right it was something like 20,000 pigeons were lost crossing the English Channel. If pigeons could smell there way home there is no way that many would of been lost. IMHO


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## YaSin11 (Jul 23, 2009)

Sreesh,
Thanks for sharing this article. I think I may have read it before. Personally I think 'homing ability' is probably due to a combination of different factors. Hope your birds are doing well, peace 
YaSin


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

I was looking at this website http://www.healthypigeons.com/ and the link http://www.healthypigeons.com/MagnetitePage.html

and the guy sells Magnetite to feed breeders to help them pass along this mineral to their eggs here is what he says:

MAGNETITE
"You've read and possibly heard about MAGNETITE and how it enhances the homing instinct of our birds. Now we know a little more. We have learned of a study in Europe by Scientist working on the homing instinct of pigeons. This work suggests the best results are obtained by feeding your breeders the magnetite a short time, even before you mate them. In this way the hen has the ability to pass the material into the egg sac as it begins to develop in the reproductive cycle. As the egg is the formed, more of the effects of the magnetite are added. The youngster then develops in this magnetite-rich environment. From what we have learned, it is beneficial to continue to feed magnetite to your breeders for the first 2 or 3 weeks of the youngster's life after hatching. If you plan to raise another round you would then continue feeding breeders the magnetite until the last round of young are 2 or 3 weeks old.. 

Results of this study say this is the most critical period to use the product. Some flyers still insist it helps to use magnetite during the early training and races. It's inexpensive to use. It's your choice, anything to help get the birds home is worth the small cost of it's use. As an "old time" flyer once told me "if they don't come home they ain't likely to win". You only need a slightly rounded teaspoon to treat 5 lbs of pigeon feed."

I thought that was interesting contrast to pigeons homing by smell..besides pigeons only have 38 taste buds...I can't see a pigeon having a better nose then a blood hound dog. Also in that study they admit to lobotomizing those pigeons for their study..I think the cutting away of those nerve receptors is what messed those birds up and gave them the "impression" of birds homing by smell. IMHO


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I think by far the magnetic fields is their main source of finding home. The sun is, no doubt, also an asset since even migratory birds use it. But you also have to consider that those birds migrate at the same time - and same sun position - every year. I would group smell and maybe even sound to memory, meaning I believe that if they use those two to get home at all, then it is probably around the same time they start picking out familiar landmarks and other things they remember.

When I watched Pigeon Genius and they talked about killing the nerves that let them smell....I also wondered that maybe the birds didn't come home because someone just cut into their head. I mean, how stressful and confusing would that be? One minute you can smell a little, next minute, your nose is dead. Not to mention I'm sure that hurt the birds - it IS a nerve after all!


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

"...she cut the nerves that carried olfactory signals to their brains. In another 24 pigeons she cut the trigeminal nerve..."

Sick witch! Let's pin her down; see what makes her tick. They just make this crap up as they go along in order to appeal to someone to pay for their research. They'll have another theory after cutting something else up.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

Cornell University and several others have spent lots of time and money studying pigeons.
I'd forget this #$%^ Robin McKie study.
Some people believe any thing they read.
My pigeons can pull a Fright Train----Couple them up.

http://www.racingbirds.com/homing.html


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

*if homing was by smell*

how would they get home with a tailwind

i saw the discovery channel episode about this topic.

just does not seem correct


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## Feathered Dragons (Oct 15, 2010)

*Fly by smell???*

To each their own but I do like to read as much as I can on other views. It doesnt mean you must take it like it is writen in stone. I found everything posted here today to be full of information. It made for a good read. It is better than being out in the stores on Black Friday.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

In this day and age they us a gsps. But really They have found traces of iron in the pigeons brain And believe it has something to do with there homing abiltry. This was found in about 1979 in a study done in England. Smell I believe is not much to any help. As remember how many birds yoiu lost just around the loft. And studies have been done where highere magnetic fields upset the homing abilty. One thing for sure They better birds manage to get home.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

My guess is that pigeons use many different kinds of navigational methods. Here is the link of the (controversial) experiment:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS9bEZm1UFA

If I am a pigeon I will try to use all my senses to get home if I can.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I saw a show on this not that long ago. It covered everything mentioned here...sense of smell, earth's magnetic field, iron in the brain and site (photographic memory).
Each scientist 'debunked' the other scientist's theory's 
They don't have a clue yet how pigeons 'home'.
The part were they cut the nerve pissed me off!


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

What we do know is that God gave Hommers a gift that we will never understand. I thankful I don't have to understand everything He does.


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## M Kurps (Mar 19, 2009)

Call me old fashioned or behind on the times, however I believe they home first on the light spectrum of the sun accompanied second by the magnetic pull of the Earth.Lastly by recognition of familiar landmarks. But that is just me.
Kurps


I forgot 1 important thing it is called "DESIRE" to home.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Pigeon navigations is probably those things that scientists can figure out. So I will not put God in the equation on this one. I mean scientists can influence the bird's navigational behavior for example.

With respect to experiments, yeah, it sucks that we have to do all those stuff. Lots of animals die because we like to know things. For example, if you want to study paralysis, you experiment on a mouse/rat say and break their spinal cords. Yeah, they will be given anesthesia. Then after you are done with the experiments, you have to kill them.


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## Feathered Dragons (Oct 15, 2010)

GEMcC5150 said:


> What we do know is that God gave Hommers a gift that we will never understand. I thankful I don't have to understand everything He does.


RIGHT ON GEMcC5150


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## M Kurps (Mar 19, 2009)

RodSD said:


> Pigeon navigations is probably those things that scientists can figure out. So I will not put God in the equation on this one. I mean scientists can influence the bird's navigational behavior for example.
> 
> With respect to experiments, yeah, it sucks that we have to do all those stuff. Lots of animals die because we like to know things. For example, if you want to study paralysis, you experiment on a mouse/rat say and break their spinal cords. Yeah, they will be given anesthesia. Then after you are done with the experiments, you have to kill them.


I agree with the respect to experiments, alot of good has come from experiments on (sad to say) animals. However where does one draw the line. Cutting nerves to keep a pigeon from smelling is for what reason ? It is to find out how a "PIGEON" navigates. Now is this for the good of man or just a cruel experiment ? I would say that experiment was just a cruel experiment which wasn't necessary. IMO.
Kurps


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

It does look cruel, but the experiments asked for it. You want to prove whether pigeons navigate by smell or not so you eliminate the sense of smell. Cutting the nerve probably is less invasive than cutting the whole nostril or everything related to it. You can't just cover the nose else the pigeon might not be able to breathe. Animal experimentations has its allies and enemies. In the end we end up with results or just speculation if we don't do the experiments. (I almost got a minor in Philosophy, but quit that when I realized that we just speculate on things.) I prefer hard data/facts.

In the past human dissection was prohibited by either society or church so some doctors/scientists did it secretly. In the end the knowledge gained help us a lot. If you put ethics, morals and religious beliefs you probably would not have dissected ones.

With respect to the experiment for smell, that is a valid experiment to me. You want the least variable as possible. The experiment seems clear cut to me, but I am still not fully convince! LOL!

An experiment is what you may call necessary evil.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

sreeshs said:


> Found this in the internet, in the online portal of Gaurdian (its an archived old article yet said to be on basis of scientific experiments)
> 
> _*Pigeons' homing instinct is all down to smell *
> 
> ...


All these interesting "theories" make for some interesting speculation. But at the end of the day, or should I say the race season, even if we do come up with the explanation, then we are still back where we started. Which is how to breed pigeons with greater homing ability that can fly home fast ? Say for a moment, just for the sake of discussion, that pigeons find their way home through a variety of ways. OK, so how does that help you breed a better racing pigeon ? Or, you pick the theory...say smell....so what ? How would that help you breed that Super Racer, which would revolutionize the sport ?

I know I can think of a down side to knowing. It might just mess up "The List" of excuses we use for not getting our birds home early like...."Those cell towers messed me up"..."Those sun spots messed me up"...."Those earthquakes messed me up". I mean if it turns out it is smell, then those excuses wouldn't work anymore...course I can think up a bunch of good ones, now that I think about it..."There's a pizza shop down the street, and their pizza smell messes me up"....etc, etc, etc.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

M Kurps said:


> I agree with the respect to experiments, alot of good has come from experiments on (sad to say) animals. However where does one draw the line. Cutting nerves to keep a pigeon from smelling is for what reason ? It is to find out how a "PIGEON" navigates. Now is this for the good of man or just a cruel experiment ? I would say that experiment was just a cruel experiment which wasn't necessary. IMO.
> Kurps


I have to say I agree with this "theory".
When I watched that show, the strongest evidence leaned towards 'site' and 'photographic memory' combined with a couple other factors.
But really, what does it matter?
Experimenting to see how pigeons 'home', is not going to cure cancer


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## M Kurps (Mar 19, 2009)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> All these interesting "theories" make for some interesting speculation. But at the end of the day, or should I say the race season, even if we do come up with the explanation, then we are still back where we started. Which is how to breed pigeons with greater homing ability that can fly home fast ? Say for a moment, just for the sake of discussion, that pigeons find their way home through a variety of ways. OK, so how does that help you breed a better racing pigeon ? Or, you pick the theory...say smell....so what ? How would that help you breed that Super Racer, which would revolutionize the sport ?
> 
> I know I can think of a down side to knowing. It might just mess up "The List" of excuses we use for not getting our birds home early like...."Those cell towers messed me up"..."Those sun spots messed me up"...."Those earthquakes messed me up". I mean if it turns out it is smell, then those excuses wouldn't work anymore...course I can think up a bunch of good ones, now that I think about it..."There's a pizza shop down the street, and their pizza smell messes me up"....etc, etc, etc.


Well if the answer was smell ,you could always move next to a Dump Warren or Staten Island for that matter. HaHaHa
(No offense to those who live in Staten Island just a joke.)
Kurps


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Msfreebird said:


> I have to say I agree with this "theory".
> When I watched that show, the strongest evidence leaned towards 'site' and 'photographic memory' combined with a couple other factors.
> But really, what does it matter?
> *Experimenting to see how pigeons 'home', is not going to cure cancer *




I have to agree. Ridiculous what they do to animals, and for no needed purpose. Who cares how they do it? The answers are not worth experimenting on live animals. This is not really something we_ need_ to know. Let it remain a mystery.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

That is what we call "basic research." You are not doing the research to find cure for something, but only to add to human knowledge. It is like doing basic research in math. You are not doing it to calculate your IRS debt, for example. Many of the so called "useless" basic research in the past turn out to be (very) helpful in the future.

Yes, doing homing experiments will not cure cancer, but may help in the future navigational technology. Right now gps technology is "in." Let me put it this way. Right now we use satellite to find our way (gps technology). Imagine if we can navigate without one like how pigeon does! No satellite needed if you will. There is this speculation that pigeons can do 3d mapping in their brain using the magnetic field. It is like they have a compass and they know what part on earth they are.

What people doesn't know is that many of the things we use right now had arisen from basic research. Many people know only about applied research where you apply known research for something that benefit us. Yet underneath that it uses basic research first.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

RodSD said:


> That is what we call "basic research." You are not doing the research to find cure for something, but only to add to human knowledge. It is like doing basic research in math. You are not doing it to calculate your IRS debt, for example. Many of the so called "useless" basic research in the past turn out to be (very) helpful in the future.
> 
> Yes, doing homing experiments will not cure cancer, but may help in the future navigational technology. Right now gps technology is "in." Let me put it this way. Right now we use satellite to find our way (gps technology). Imagine if we can navigate without one like how pigeon does! No satellite needed if you will. There is this speculation that pigeons can do 3d mapping in their brain using the magnetic field. It is like they have a compass and they know what part on earth they are.
> 
> What people doesn't know is that many of the things we use right now had arisen from basic research. Many people know only about applied research where you apply known research for something that benefit us. Yet underneath that it uses basic research first.


Well that's just fine, but I wonder if the birds would agree with you. The birds they are experimenting on are getting lost and dying. Don't like using animals that way.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Yeah, I know. Birds would not like that. But again it is what we call "necessary evil" thing to do. Do you think chicken, pigs, and cows like to be butchered? But we do it anyhow because it is necessary for us to eat unless you are vegetarian.

I, too, feel uncomfortable doing animal experiments. But I don't see any other way. If you test for new drugs in animals, there is this possibility that the animal will die. But then again, they have to be killed after any experiment by law (I think).


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

RodSD said:


> *Yeah, I know. Birds would not like that. But again it is what we call "necessary evil" thing to do. Do you think chicken, pigs, and cows like to be butchered? But we do it anyhow because it is necessary for us to eat unless you are vegetarian.*
> 
> I, too, feel uncomfortable doing animal experiments. But I don't see any other way. If you test for new drugs in animals, there is this possibility that the animal will die. But then again, they have to be killed after any experiment by law (I think).


That was my point. "A NECESSAERY EVIL" is not when people are trying to prove how pigeons home. That isn't necessary. Eating is.
Any time man wants to find something out, it becomes a "Necessary Evil". Whatever suits us humans, and I use the word loosely, is alright. Hitler did that to lots of people, in the name of a "necessary evil." Different when it falls on us humans though, isn't it?


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

You are using the word "necessary evil" too simplistically. Hitler was a politician and not a scientist although I have to admit that some of his scientists did human experiments!


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## M Kurps (Mar 19, 2009)

RodSD said:


> Yeah, I know. Birds would not like that. But again it is what we call "necessary evil" thing to do. Do you think chicken, pigs, and cows like to be butchered? But we do it anyhow because it is necessary for us to eat unless you are vegetarian.
> 
> I, too, feel uncomfortable doing animal experiments. But I don't see any other way. If you test for new drugs in animals, there is this possibility that the animal will die. But then again, they have to be killed after any experiment by law (I think).


I'm sorry Rod but comparing butchering chickens, pigs, and cows for food to cutting nerves on pigeons to see if it disrupts thier navigation is a bad example, there is just no comparison.
Kurps


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

RodSD said:


> That is what we call "basic research." You are not doing the research to find cure for something, but only to add to human knowledge. It is like doing basic research in math. You are not doing it to calculate your IRS debt, for example. Many of the so called "useless" basic research in the past turn out to be (very) helpful in the future.
> 
> *Yes, doing homing experiments will not cure cancer, but may help in the future navigational technology. Right now gps technology is "in." Let me put it this way. Right now we use satellite to find our way (gps technology). Imagine if we can navigate without one like how pigeon does! No satellite needed if you will. There is this speculation that pigeons can do 3d mapping in their brain using the magnetic field. It is like they have a compass and they know what part on earth they are.*
> 
> What people doesn't know is that many of the things we use right now had arisen from basic research. Many people know only about applied research where you apply known research for something that benefit us. Yet underneath that it uses basic research first.


Sorry, but this is where I draw the line with experiments. 
I have NO need for GPS.....To me, that's a luxury NOT a necessity.
I get along quite fine using a MAP 
Experimenting with birds to help us travel easier is NOT my idea of progress.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Msfreebird said:


> Sorry, but this is where I draw the line with experiments.
> I have NO need for GPS.....To me, that's a luxury NOT a necessity.
> I get along quite fine using a MAP
> Experimenting with birds to help us travel easier is NOT my idea of progress.


I sure you enjoy you buggy as well, there is no need for a car or even a computer but we call that advancement. Man has dominion over other animals but we are to care for then also. Research is what drive the future cruelty is what stops it progress.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

GEMcC5150 said:


> I sure you enjoy you buggy as well, there is no need for a car or even a computer but we call that advancement. Man has dominion over other animals but we are to care for then also. Research is what drive the future cruelty is what stops it progress.


Hey, if I had my way, I'd trade my Escalade EXT in for a buggy and draft horse  But I wouldn't get very far around here.........have to go on the highway and over bridges..........horse drawn carriages are illegal on those roads


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

You guys are funny. I suppose if you guys have your way we will be living inside a cave with animals as a transportation. 

GPS is used by current commercial airplanes. It seems to help travel safer especially during bad weather.

I met some people who are not into animal experiments yet almost things that they use in their daily life resulted from some "basic research." Your prescriptions drugs, for example, were probably the result of basic research and animals died in those experiments. Your cancer drug is a result of experiments and most likely some animals died on that one, too. That goes with your heart prescription drugs, diabetes, etc,.

I wish to reiterate that pigeon smell experiment is a valid basic research. How are we going to use that knowledge in the future, I don't know yet. For now we are not benefiting from it yet so it stands to be just a knowledge to add to our human library. And cutting the nerves of those pigeons are necessary evil thing to do. Like it or not that is how experiments are perform.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Msfreebird said:


> Sorry, but this is where I draw the line with experiments.
> I have NO need for GPS.....To me, that's a luxury NOT a necessity.
> I get along quite fine using a MAP
> Experimenting with birds to help us travel easier is NOT my idea of progress.


I used to believe it this way myself in the beginning, but not now. Here is one experimental test if you need a gps or not. Let someone blindfold you and take you somewhere with a map. Then you try to find home. Now let someone do the same thing with a gps system (I am assuming that we get signals). Then figure out who can come home first and fast. Then you will know if you need a gps or not. I do! Unless you have those military training where you can navigate just using a map, compass, north star and sextant(if you are in the sea), then you probably don't need it. You might want it, but not necessarily needs it.

So your idea of traveling slow without animal experiment is your idea of progress? Oh, yeah, airplane were inspired because of birds flying in the air.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

RodSD said:


> I used to believe it this way myself in the beginning, but not now. Here is one experimental test if you need a gps or not. Let someone blindfold you and take you somewhere with a map. Then you try to find home. Now let someone do the same thing with a gps system (I am assuming that we get signals). Then figure out who can come home first and fast. Then you will know if you need a gps or not.


Its also one of the worst enviromentally friendly inventions ever produced for a car.
Fuel consumption is increased, routes shown often incur needless mileages through areas that could be avoided, and worst of all, concentration on actual driving is impaired.
I work in the courier & taxi industry. Last year I BANNED some of my drivers from using them. Over a period of 3 weeks, journey times were shortened, fuel consumption was down by nearly 20%, Mileage was down 10%.
Drivers actually LEARNED how to get from A to B by reading maps & road signs.
GPS is not a must have, it is a needless addiction that everyone to readilly relies on.


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

M Kurps said:


> Well if the answer was smell ,you could always move next to a Dump Warren or Staten Island for that matter. HaHaHa
> (No offense to those who live in Staten Island just a joke.)
> Kurps


LoL I remeber going on training tosses when I was a lil kid with my dad when all the Dumps were still in full operation. And that place stank I remember falling asleep one time on one of those long drives and woke up to the smell I knew where I was b4 I even opened my eyes. LoL But now it's not bad at all it just looks like your driving through some hilly area there really isn't any smell any more.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Quazar said:


> Its also one of the worst enviromentally friendly inventions ever produced for a car.
> Fuel consumption is increased, routes shown often incur needless mileages through areas that could be avoided, and worst of all, concentration on actual driving is impaired.
> I work in the courier & taxi industry. Last year I BANNED some of my drivers from using them. Over a period of 3 weeks, journey times were shortened, fuel consumption was down by nearly 20%, Mileage was down 10%.
> Drivers actually LEARNED how to get from A to B by reading maps & road signs.
> GPS is not a must have, it is a needless addiction that everyone to readilly relies on.


Interesting observation! But it seems that the problem is a human problem. If your drivers already know how to get to their destination why would they have to rely on the GPS? It sounds to me that the GPS is taking them at the wrong spot or longer route so it consumes more gas. Then local knowledge of the map will be more efficient. I have observed the same. I can take short cut or the shortest route.

When I gave my example, I was in a new place at night and it is dark. And if you can't see the road sign or road name, the navigation is long and dangerous. You are literally lost! And we got lost and consumed more gas, effort. Obviously the second time around with gps it ended up a piece of cake. I suppose it depends on the context.

I watched one of those TOP GEAR episode where one guy got lost using a GPS in England and it seems that the pigeon beat him first.

"GPS is not a must have." I think that depends on the context. If you are in the military fighting in a desert without any sign where you are GPS is a must have!


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

Quazar said:


> Its also one of the worst enviromentally friendly inventions ever produced for a car.
> Fuel consumption is increased, routes shown often incur needless mileages through areas that could be avoided, and worst of all, concentration on actual driving is impaired.
> I work in the courier & taxi industry. Last year I BANNED some of my drivers from using them. Over a period of 3 weeks, journey times were shortened, fuel consumption was down by nearly 20%, Mileage was down 10%.
> Drivers actually LEARNED how to get from A to B by reading maps & road signs.
> GPS is not a must have, it is a needless addiction that everyone to readilly relies on.


I know I have one of them things on my phone and I try it out to see where it's gonna take me and it takes you way out of the way all the time. I'm glad I'm not like most of my friends who depend on those things to get them anyplace. My friends actually call me the human GPS and they'll even call me when they get lost because their GPS went dead and they don't know where they are. LoL


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

A GPS, A Map, A Compass are all just tools and tools in and of themself are not good or bad it is how you use them. I off road all over Baja and I like my GPS but tonight I just got a new updated map book. I want all the information I can get to get out and back.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

RodSD said:


> .... If your drivers already know how to get to their destination why would they have to rely on the GPS?.....


They dont always know how to get there, but I do agree, sometimes in a strange town it can be invaluable, although I still find its quicker and more precise to ask a local or pop into a local police station & ask.

oh, and you'd be surprised at what some drivers do, some of them used to switch it on EVERY time they got into the vehicle, punch in their destination, and "drive blind" listening to the instructions.... One even did it to go HOME from the base .... and he lived less than a mile away


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

True story. I know my friend's house address, but decided to blindly trust one gps instructions. It took me 1 hour to get there when I can reach the place in 15 minutes. The gps let me go round and round. It got confused! The worst part is when it gets you in a dead end street and it "wants" you to proceed. LOL!


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

RodSD said:


> True story. I know my friend's house address, but decided to blindly trust one gps instructions. It took me 1 hour to get there when I can reach the place in 15 minutes. The gps let me go round and round. It got confused! The worst part is when it gets you in a dead end street and it "wants" you to proceed. LOL!


Like what happened once with Google maps, from China to Taiwan or something, it wanted to "*swim* across pacific ocean"


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

.........and these are ALL the reasons I don't use GPS 
We do animal 'house calls' at work, my boss has GPS. We stopped using it. 
I now Google a map, zoom in to find the shortcuts, and get there quicker


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