Reanalysis of an oft-cited paper on honeybee magnetoreception reveals random behavior

While mounting evidence indicates that a phylogenetically diverse group of animals detect Earth-strength magnetic fields, a magnetoreceptor has not been identified in any animal. One possible reason that identifying a magnetoreceptor has proven challenging is that, like many research fields, magnetoreception research lacks extensive independent replication. Independent replication is important because a subset of studies undoubtedly contain false positive results and without replication it is difficult to determine if the outcome of an experiment is a false positive. However, we report here a reanalysis of a well-cited paper on honeybee magnetoreception demonstrating that the original paper represented a false positive finding caused by a misunderstanding of probability. We also point out how good experimental design practices could have revealed the error prior to publication. Hopefully, this reanalysis will serve as a reminder of the importance of good experimental design in order to reduce the likelihood of publishing false positive results.