A spinning molecule, a billionth of a meter in size, behaves like a quantum top: it detects weak magnetic fields while ignoring strong ones. Thanks to its mass, it resists ‘smearing out’ even in a warm, living cell. This built-in compass could explain the magnetosensitivity of organisms — and lead to new detectors.
🎯 Some birds, like robins, literally ‘see’ Earth’s magnetic field during migration thanks to quantum effects in their eyes.