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The Conversation USA

The surprising reason why insects circle lights at night: They lose track of the sky

  • Written by Samuel Fabian, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Bioengineering, Imperial College London
imageA multiple-exposure photograph of insects circling a light at night.Samuel Fabian, CC BY-ND

It’s an observation as old as humans gathering around campfires: Light at night can draw an erratically circling crowd of insects. In art, music and literature, this spectacle is an enduring metaphor for dangerous but irresistible attractions. And...

Read more: The surprising reason why insects circle lights at night: They lose track of the sky

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