Category: Feature Stories

Does the added convenience come at a price? Rinse aid for dishwashers is suspected of triggering various chronic diseases. One ingredient is considered potentially toxic. It saves a lot of time and water and makes housework much more straightforward: the dishwasher. Especially because nowadays, thanks to modern dishwashing detergents, the machine can usually get to grips with even the worst soiling. And the rinse aid makes the dishes shiny again without the need for re-polishing. Rinse aid can damage the protective layer in the intestinesThe rinse aid is suspected of…

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After Christmas, an XXL asteroid is coming dangerously close to us. If it hits Earth, it could cause tremendous damage.If it goes after the web page of the “Center for Near Earth Object Studies” of the US space agency NASA, a gigantic asteroid comes dangerously close to the Earth after Christmas. However, no one should be afraid of a catastrophe. The asteroid “2010 XC15” reached the closest point to Earth on its trajectory at around 6:15 p.m. on December 27. Then the rocky chunk is only about 770,000 million kilometres…

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At Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. But even after 2,000 years, it is still unclear when he was born. In any case, there is no information in the New Testament about the exact date. So why exactly December 25 was chosen as his birthday is still a matter of debate among scientists today. People worldwide celebrate Christmas on December 25, except for those Orthodox who follow the Julian calendar. They don’t celebrate the holiday until Jan. 6 or 7. Christmas has long been celebrated on December 25 –…

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On Christmas Eve, presents are a must in most households. Unwrapping colorful packages makes children and adults happy. Many people are even more comfortable than giving presents themselves when they make someone else happy – as science has shown. Once again, this year, many Austrians have been searching for the perfect Christmas gifts for their family, friends, and acquaintances. Receiving gifts makes people happy, but according to Viennese psychologist and happiness researcher Heide-Marie Smolka, in many cases, this is only partly due to the gift itself. Especially with close friends…

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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is here to stay. But that should not obscure the view of other vaccine-preventable diseases. Now the “Vaccination Plan Austria 2023” of the Ministry of Health has been published. It warns, in particular, against influenza and less measles vaccination protection in children. The latter may prove to be a risk again with some delay. Every year, a broad panel of experts has summarized the status and recommendations on immunizations in the Austrian Immunization Plan. The current paper, which came out Tuesday (Dec. 20), outlines the current situation…

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For several years, Netflix has been a thorn in the side that many users pass on the passwords of their accounts to friends and family members who do not live in the same household, thus engaging in “account sharing.” A charge is paid for but used by different people. In 2019, Netflix was already planning to crack down on this, but then came the Corona pandemic and, with it, a whole bunch of new subscribers- 100 million secondary usersBut now that many users have cancelled their accounts again because they…

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Expired medications should never be taken without consultation, explains the president of the Carinthian Chamber of Pharmacists, Hans Bachitsch: “In any case, you should clarify this with a doctor or a pharmacist.” Although not all medications lose their shelf life immediately with the expiration date, this is difficult to assess for laypersons: “There are preparations that can still be taken for about two months after that. But you can’t generalize because it depends entirely on the drug. Therefore, one should not decide without advice whether a preparation is still used,”…

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“Nuts and Christmas” – this traditional duo of pleasure and nostalgia is an integral part of the gift table. Walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are indispensable to the cold, cozy winter season. Why is that so? In origin, nuts and Christmas did not find together for nutritional reasons. Still, they received their deep meaning as decoration for the fir tree, which moved many years ago as a unique Christmas custom into the warm rooms. Originally it was decorated with red apples and nuts. The apples symbolize God’s love and the expulsion…

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