SummarySelf-localization and navigation are critical functions for the survival of mobile animals. By processing sensory information such as landmarks and environmental features, as well as keeping track of the path they have taken, animals are able to remain oriented as they explore the world, learning what resources are where and planning how to reach them. This ancient capacity for self-orientation has, through evolution, become intimately entwined with the ability to remember the events of daily life — an ability known as episodic memory. Spatial and episodic memory involve the interaction of many cognitive faculties and brain circuits, and so are fascinating subjects for study that reveal much about how the brain works.