Getting nowhere with Google Maps? Try echolocation!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Did you know that bats experience traffic too? But they navigate it with a grace that puzzles scientists. Two thousand bats can emerge from one small cave opening in one minute. And they rarely crash into each other! HOW?
Dr. Aya Goldshtein and team at Tel-Aviv University put miniature microphones on bats to better understand what’s going on.
They found that the bats detect echolocation from their neighbors even in dense, noisy crowds. To further avoid collisions, they gradually pick up speed as they exit the cave.
BATS can modify their speed to move safely in crowds. So what’s your excuse, MAD MAX?!
Reference: Goldshtein, A., Mazar, O., Harten, L., Amichai, E., Assa, R., Levi, A., Orchan, Y., Toledo, S., Nathan, R., & Yovel, Y. (2025). Onboard recordings reveal how bats maneuver under severe acoustic interference. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(14). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2407810122