Category: Feature Stories

Humans are pumping out so much groundwater that the North Pole moves by 4.36 centimetres yearly. Researchers at Seoul National University in South Korea have discovered this. This makes it the second most crucial factor in shifting the Earth’s axis. The fact that mass is distributed on the Earth and thus changes its inclination is not peculiar. One main reason for this is mass shifts in the Earth’s interior, the oceans and the atmosphere. Natural and climate catastrophes such as earthquakes or glacial melt also cause small but measurable changes…

Read More

In this age of digitalization, it’s hard to imagine life without our smartphones. We are constantly typing away on it or sending photos. But for this reason, you should also turn it off sometimes. Anyone with a smartphone knows the need to be constantly reachable or play games on it. Email, photos, or short messages can be sent to another person with a swipe across the screen. Practical, but the uninterrupted use of the mobile phone has disadvantages. The constant companionThe Südkurier asked whether the constant use of the smartphone…

Read More

Coffee is universally loved: but even the most significant coffee lovers might not know the following five facts about the pick-me-up. These five facts about coffee are guaranteed to be new to you: Coffee lovers take note: Five facts about the drink Coffee is a fruit. Coffee beans are not dark in colour from the start: They are still green immediately after harvesting. Coffee in moderation is healthier than you think. Coffee before or after dinner? If you drink coffee in the evening at six before dinner, the effect is…

Read More

It is common knowledge that the days are getting longer. Every year 0.000015 seconds are added. In other words, the Earth’s rotation is slowed by 2.3 milliseconds every century. The reason for this is the lunar tidal forces. This also causes the distance to the moon to increase by 3 to 4 centimetres every year, which in turn further slows down the Earth’s rotation. Until now, it was assumed that this braking process was continuous. That is, the further back in time you look, the shorter the days become. But…

Read More

As a survey by the industry platform “Kosmetik transparent” shows, around one-third of all people in Austria use a deodorant or antiperspirant daily. At 71.5 percent, the proportion of women is significantly higher than that of men at 57.7 percent. Sweating is a natural phenomenon to maintain body temperature. The best way to deal with the body odour that can arise is to shower or wash regularly, and many people also use deodorants and similar products from the cosmetics industry. According to GfK market research data, buyer reach for deodorants…

Read More

No matter whether tonsil or appendectomy or the straightening of a fracture – this is usually done under general anesthesia. But what was not known until now is: general anesthesia changes the brain. General anesthesia makes surgery easier – not only for the doctor but also for the patient. Those who are afraid of surgery often want general anesthesia so they don’t experience any of it. Until now, it was assumed that our nervous system, and thus the brain, is “switched off” for a short time during a general anesthetic,…

Read More

Researchers discover a rare circumbinary planetary system, similar to Tatooine from Star Wars. BEBOP-1c, the newly discovered planet, orbits two stars and has an enormous mass. It is only the second time such a system with multiple planets has been found. In the Star Wars saga movies, the planet Tatooine plays a unique role and stands out visually: Because the home of the hero Luke Skywalker orbits around two stars – not just one, as in our solar system. It was unclear whether such systems with planets existed for a…

Read More

Taurine prolongs life and promotes health, researchers say. Mice, like humans, are healthier when they have more of it in their blood. Taurine levels decline with age in several animal species, including humans. Experiments on middle-aged animals have shown that raising taurine levels to youthful levels prolongs life by more than 10 percent and improves physical and mental health. The researchers say taurine could be an “elixir of life,” – but boosting taurine levels in humans has not yet been tested. The Columbia University team in New York advises against…

Read More

Thousands of times, the toilet is flushed on an average medium-haul flight. This legitimately raises the question: what happens to all that wastewater? The workings of an airplane pose numerous mysteries if only starting with the toilets and especially what happens to the wastewater. We’ll answer the question that has always been on your mind. Or maybe you’re interested in why we’re supposed to put our smartphones in flight mode during the flight. No, it doesn’t go straight into the air.Back then, people used a blue liquid sanitizer to carry…

Read More