Canine compasses.

• Position: DOGS - Brief article

Scientists have long suspected that there's a logic to how dogs "do their business." It turns out they're right: Researchers from Germany and the Czech Republic, who spent two years following 70 dogs around, recently concluded that pooches like to do No. 1 and No. 2 along the north-south axis of Earth's magnetic field. The doggies followed the compass only when the magnetic fields were calm; bathroom behavior was random when the fields were disrupted by solar flares or electromagnetic storms. Earlier...