Spatial navigation requires tracking and remembering where we are and where we are going. Although our brains contain the same neural apparatus used by rodents - place cells, grid cells, head direction cells - people can navigate by relying on a broad range of tools, including maps, signs, and even language or gesture. In this talk, I discuss our research on how various tools can support spatial navigation, or not. Using real and virtual environments, our work shows that navigation tools are not panaceas, at best providing access to information that can be difficult to glean. Yet, research on the neural representation of spatial directions may show how they might be made more effective for a broader range of navigators, including those with navigation impairments.
