Science Unlocked — learning navigation skills - video Dailymotion

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Would you find your way without a watch or compass? In the episode of Science Unlocked Edith Kimani learns how the sun and signs in our natural environment can help us find our way and tell the time.

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00:00So guys, the other day I got lost.

00:02I mean literally lost in the middle of nowhere.

00:04I didn't have my phone, it died.

00:06I didn't have my watch.

00:07And I was panicking.

00:08So this is what I want us to do today.

00:10First, can I find my bearings without my phone?

00:15I also want to know, can I tell the time without my watch?

00:19And because we want to do this the old school way,

00:21I want to see if I can pick up some more Indigenous knowledge.

00:24So, learn.

00:28Right, so we're going to need some sticks.

00:30These will do, they're from a broom.

00:32We'll also need the face of a clock and a pencil.

00:36That's literally all you need and of course the sun.

00:39Okay, and we outside.

00:43We found somewhere nice and flat outside to see if I can actually find my directions just using the sun.

00:49Luckily, we live on the equator, it's already so hot.

00:52So essentially, we're able to determine where we are.

00:56Because this is the west.

00:58So what we've essentially created is the west-east line.

01:02Pretty simple, huh?

01:03But I want to confirm how true this is.

01:05So I'm pulling up my compass app on my phone.

01:07Let's see what it says.

01:09We're off by about 20 degrees, but I think that's fine.

01:12So I would say that this experiment is a success.

01:16Now that we know where the cardinal points are, I do wonder if there's another way or another technique of doing this.

01:22So I've invited someone special here with us.

01:24Katanko is here.

01:25He's from the Ma community.

01:26You can already hear him.

01:27He's jingling because of your jewelry.

01:30Looking so nice.

01:31Thank you, thank you.

01:32Yeah, so being part of the Maasai community, obviously as herders and pastoralists, you're used to being out in the open.

01:37Yes, yes.

01:38But I'm guessing this is not what your forefathers used to do to determine their way back home.

01:42No, this is not what they used to do, but I think they always find their way home.

01:46So we have maybe let's say two or three ways of telling direction.

01:50First and foremost is that sun will always rise from the east and certain the west.

01:55When you are at the east, your shadow goes to the west farthest.

01:59When the sun is the middle, your shadow is shortest.

02:03The next thing I want you to teach me is how to tell the time.

02:06Yes.

02:07Okay, let's get our equipment. I'm going to put you to work a little bit.

02:10Okay.

02:11Okay, this one is basically just Manila paper and we have a pencil or something straight and we've got the sun.

02:17So the idea is that if we place this against our cardinal direction, so assuming that's north.

02:24Yeah.

02:25That's west and that's east.

02:26Yeah.

02:27Simply by putting the pencil in here, we should be able to tell the time.

02:30What time does that say it is?

02:31Seven minutes to three.

02:32It's actually 3.36.

02:343.36.

02:35It's not so far off.

02:36But another thing to note is that because we're on the equator, so the sun is very, very close to us.

02:41Yeah, yeah.

02:42Which means it affects how the shadows are falling.

02:44So give or take half an hour, I'd say that's pretty good.

02:47Pretty good.

02:48But Katampo, you did say that there are other things we can learn in the forest.

02:51Yes.

02:52Right?

02:53Yes, yes.

02:54Shall we go there now?

02:55Let's do that.

02:56Oh, this way?

02:57This way.

02:58This way.

02:59So here in the forest, we look at such trees.

03:02If you look at this side of this tree, there's a bit of yellowish.

03:07Yeah.

03:08If you look on this side, it's a bit darker.

03:10And harder.

03:11And harder.

03:12And the reason why, this side is the dark side.

03:14This side is the light side.

03:16This means east where your sun is coming from.

03:19Oh.

03:20Because it has...

03:21It has more time shining.

03:23In the sun.

03:24Yeah.

03:25But I understand it's not just the trees that have sort of like, that can reveal things.

03:29That even rocks.

03:30Rocks.

03:31And birds and animals.

03:32True.

03:33The pigeons, they wake you up in the morning.

03:35The rooster is one of them also.

03:37Cows, in the morning, they mow a lot because either they need to be milked, it's time for them to go and feed.

03:43So those are some of the animals that tell you also time.

03:46So we're all sort of operating on a natural circadian rhythm.

03:49Completely.

03:50Daytime.

03:51Nighttime.

03:52Yes.

03:53Midday.

03:54But now we are seeing people cutting down.

03:55This used to be a very dense forest.

03:57I had three tasks today.

03:58Yes.

03:59I know for a fact that I could find my way without my phone.

04:02Yeah.

04:03Do you think I can accurately tell the time without my watch?

04:05Do I score an A on that?

04:06Maybe a B plus.

04:07I'll take a B plus.

04:09I think I've learned some local knowledge, some indigenous knowledge.

04:13Have you?

04:14Yeah.

04:15Good.

04:16I think I've done pretty well today.

04:17Well done.

04:18Thank you so much.

04:19You're most welcome.

04:20But now it's time to go.

04:21The cows are about to come back home.

04:23This way or that way?

04:24This way.

04:25This way.

04:26This way.

04:27This way.

04:28This way.

04:29This mythical dream, jump.

04:30But it's a picture that was fake for 60% of these people and there.

04:31Okay.

04:32This one, please.

04:33Much cooler, we love it.

04:34This is cropping now.

04:35So, this쟈, maybe not all the Hershey-Zwa.

04:37Yeah.

04:38Is this a picture- Minister.

04:39Is this...

04:40It's ok.

04:41My Valentine?

04:42I thinkFirst-Ntimore all the animals.

Science Unlocked — learning navigation skills

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