Predators with experience of skunks avoid them both because of their black-and-white coloration and their distinctive body shape, a new study has found.

High levels of workplace exposure to Bisphenol-A may increase the risk of reduced sexual function in men. This is the first human study to look at the effect of BPA on the male reproductive system. Rodent studies have shown BPA's detrimental effect on male reproductive system. The five-year study of 634 workers in China found workers with BPA exposure had quadruple risk of erectile dysfunction, and seven times more risk of ejaculation difficulty.

Because land use changes are responsible for 50 percent of warming in the US, policymakers need to address the influence of global deforestation and urbanization on climate change, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions, experts urge.

Getting a flu shot this fall? Canadians scientists have found that focusing on a pretty image could alleviate the sting of that vaccine. According to a new study, negative and positive emotions have a direct impact on pain.

NASA scientists studying the origin of life have reproduced uracil, a key component of our hereditary material, in the laboratory. They discovered that an ice sample containing pyrimidine exposed to ultraviolet radiation under space-like conditions produces this essential ingredient of life.

The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer.

It seems there's an online community or social network for every facet of life these days. One area where this makes a lot of sense is in map-making, given how well locals know their own territory. This might explain why OpenStreetMap --a map of the world that can be edited by anyone with Web access--has expanded from 100,000 contributors in June to more than 180,000 (and claims to be adding 300 new mappers daily). [More]

Although often seen as an inconsequential feature of digital technologies, one's self-representation, or avatar, in a virtual environment can affect the user's thoughts, according to new research.

Researchers are making progress in developing a new type of transistor that uses a finlike structure instead of the conventional flat design, possibly enabling engineers to create faster and more compact circuits and computer chips.

Surgical masks appear to be no worse than, and nearly as effective as N95 respirators in preventing influenza in health care workers, according to a new study.