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Could quantum entanglement help a flock of birds fly south for the winter? A team of scientists at the Akademie der Wissenschaften and the Universität Innsbruck, both in Austria, is looking at how concepts central to the field of quantum information—entanglement and coherence—play a role in the chemistry of magnetodetection that animals use for navigation.

Turtles, birds, and butterflies can migrate thousands of kilometers--even over vast oceans largely free of landmarks. Scientists suspect that these animals find their way by sensing Earth's magnetic field, yet the exact nature of this internal compass has remained a mystery. Now, researchers believe they have come closer to solving the puzzle: a magnetic-sensing chemical reaction within the eye.