Dangerous as it may be, the ocean has served as an important tool for mankind throughout history. Up until recently, the compass was our main ally in the fight against… getting lost. The compass has guided sailors across wide open expanses of briny waves as they search for new lands or known continents. It has been an indispensible tool that we fall rely on even today. Before the Compass The world’s earliest compass dates back to the Han Dynasty in China between 300 and 200 BC. They were made from lodestone, a naturally magnetized ore. Prior to this, navigation was mostly accomplished using landmarks when close to shore and the observation of the position of different celestial bodies like the moon and stars. On cloudy days, it is possible that the Vikings used a type of birefringence crystal to determine the sun’s position. After its invention, the compass was not initially used for navigation, but rather for fortune telling and geomancy or earth divination. It was discovered early on that when lodestone was suspended and allowed to turn freely, it would always turn in the direction of the magnetic poles. Lodestones were used in the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui, the philosophical system of aligning oneself with the environment. After the Compass How do you get around today? Do you keep a GPS in your vehicle to guide you on road trips? Do you still print out Mapquest directions? Or do you rely solely on your smartphone to direct you? While today we rely mostly on our electronic devices to get us where we need to go, the compass is always a reliable fall-back. How does a magnetic compass work? Much like the lodestone compass of 2,000 years ago, today’s compass consists of a tiny, freely suspended magnet. The tiny magnet is allowed to spin and respond to Earth’s magnetism. One end of the compass always point to our earth’s North Pole. Technically, this makes our North Pole the south pole of the magnet that is Earth. Sounds crazy, right? This hasn’t always been true and won’t always be true since the poles have reversed in the past and it’s possible for it to happen again. “North” isn’t even in the same spot as it was a century ago! Over the last 100 years, magnetic north has shifted over 600 miles! So the next time you’re out hiking and grab your compass to reorient yourself, think of all those who came before you who used the same tool to navigate the world. We’re learning more about the magnetic world every day and we’d love to share our findings with you. To follow along, make sure to check out our News & How-To’s blog which we update regularly with magnet-related news, DIY projects, and more!