Can People Walk a Straight Line Without a Reference Point?

People are almost always unable to walk in a straight line without a reference point. This is true with people who are blindfolded, as well as people who are walking without a clear reference point such as the sun or a mountain. Researchers don't know why people can't walk in a straight line without a reference point, but oddly enough, people tend to walk in straighter lines on sunny days and in more circular lines on overcast days.

More facts about directions:

  • Scientists think that humans are born with an innate sense of direction, but they don't know why some people are better at finding their way around than others.

  • It's not just walking that is affected. Humans also can't drive or swim in a straight line without visual input.

  • The geography of a place doesn't affect our ability to walk in a straight line either. Researchers have replicated these results from the desert to the woods to the beach, and in each place, humans simply can't walk straight without visual input.
More Info: www.npr.org

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