Category: Feature Stories

Researchers* have brought thousands of years old viruses from the Siberian permafrost back to life. The oldest is estimated to be 48,500 years old; the “youngest” has 27,000 years under its belt. These “zombie viruses” remain dead in the ice but can be brought back to life as soon as they are thawed. Oldest revived virusWith their discovery, the researchers* have set a record. Never before has a nearly 50,000-year-old frozen virus been revived to the point of becoming potentially infectious again. It has been christened Pandoravirus yedoma, after the…

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November is ending, and Black Friday is just around the corner. Experts warn against discount traps again and again. If you’re browsing online stores or wandering through shopping streets and malls, you’ve probably already noticed that there’s a real rain of discounts. Everywhere retailers are tempting customers with offers of -20, -50, and even up to -70 percent off. Many people are tempted to buy. But that’s precisely what experts warn against every year. On the one hand, you might be tempted to buy things you don’t need. And on…

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There is a traffic jam on Austria’s roads and doctors’ waiting rooms – everywhere, people are coughing and sniffling. Even if one would prefer to pull the covers over one’s head in such a condition, it is sometimes almost unavoidable that one gets into the car: For example, for trips to the doctor, to the pharmacy, or the supermarket to stock up on essential groceries. But is it even okay to get behind the wheel while on sick leave?“As with any car journey, it is a question of whether you…

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Qualcomm competitor MediaTek recently released its flagship 5G mobile chip, Dimensity 9200. In addition to 5G, this also supports the upcoming WiFi-7 wireless connection, which will be launched next year. This is expected to bring several improvements compared to previous generations. “The introduction of WiFi 7 will mark the first time that WiFi can be a true fixed-line/Ethernet replacement for ultra-high bandwidth applications,” Alan Hsu, general manager of MediaTek’s Intelligent Connectivity business unit, said in a statement. Currently, there are several WLAN protocols, such as 802.11n or 802.11ac. In 2018,…

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There are many discount battles on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the weeks before and after. However, the Chamber of Labor (AK) warns us to be careful with fat discounts. How retailers cheat on Black Friday and Cyber MondayBeware: fat discounts can often not be so attractive at a second glance. This is because the percentages are often not based on the market price but on the usually significantly higher list price. The AK gives tips on what consumers should pay attention to when it comes to price tricks. Many…

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The coronavirus variant BQ.1.1 has also arrived in Austria. Research by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer brought good news on Friday: the bivalent Omicron vaccine developed with Biontech in Mainz also helps against the new mutation, the German medical journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt reported on Friday. “Biontech/Pfizer’s bivalent Covid-19 vaccine adapted to Omicron BA.4/BA.5 probably also protects against the BA.1.5 subline BQ.1.1, which is currently spreading in Germany. Laboratory studies by the manufacturer indicate this, reports the Journal of the German Medical Association (online edition). There had been an announcement from…

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With the onset of the cold season, it means for many; windows are free from frost every morning. Both the windshield and the side windows should be clear. If you only scratch a tiny peephole in the windshield, you don’t see enough, increasing the risk of an accident and a traffic ticket. Turn signals, tail lights, headlights, license plates, and the car roof must also be cleared of dirt and snow. “To get your windows ice-free, we recommend using a combination of a plastic ice scraper and windshield de-icer spray,”…

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In February 2021, a meteorite struck the English county of Gloucestershire. Water was found in the 4.6 billion-year-old chunk of rock – evidence that water on Earth is probably also due to asteroids in the outer solar system. Experts* from the Natural History Museum and the University in Glasgow were able to quickly locate the meteorite, with 16 public cameras recording the fireball’s path in the sky. “The rapid find makes it one of the most unapologetic meteorites ever available for analysis,” study author Ashley King said in a release.…

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Is it nonsense to rinse honey jars before disposing of them in the glass container? Unfortunately, no. But not because the sweet remains attract insects or animals but because of a bee epidemic. To protect local bees, rinse empty honey jars before throwing them in the bottle bank. That’s because about 75 percent of honey that originates from “EU and non-EU countries,” according to the label, is infected with the American foulbrood pathogen spores. Although these pathogens are harmless to humans, the highly contagious bee disease kills the bee larvae…

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