Category: General Interest

As every year, new variants of SARS-CoV-2 are circulating, causing respiratory infections in people in Europe. The currently dominant Covid variant XFG is often referred to in the media as the “Frankenstein variant”. It is reported to cause the so-called “razor blade throat” as a typical symptom. Doctors report patients complaining of extremely severe sore throats—so severe that they feel like they are swallowing razor blades. Several media outlets have reported on this in recent days. On May 23, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially classified the variant as…

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Comet Lemmon is currently offering a rare celestial spectacle: Lemmon and Swan will be visible to the naked eye in Austria until November 12. Two comets are providing a rare celestial spectacle: the celestial bodies named Lemmon and Swan are easy to spot in the night sky these days. Under good conditions, you don’t even need a telescope to see it: “Because it is close to both Earth and the sun, it is a striking comet and will be visible to the naked eye from a dark location,” Uwe Pilz,…

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This coming Sunday, October 26, 2025, it will be that time again: in large parts of Europe, the clocks will be set back one hour—from daylight saving time to winter or standard time. For Austria, this means that on the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clocks will change from Central European Summer Time (CEST) to Central European Time (CET) — i.e., from UTC+2 to UTC+1.  This means that we have – at least mathematically – one more hour of sleep that night. At the same time, it means that…

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Wintertime: The time change in Austria will take place on the night of October 26, 2024—all information about the time, direction, and background. Since 1980, clocks have been changed twice a year throughout Austria. Originally introduced to save energy by making use of longer daylight hours, the time change continues to confuse to this day. When exactly does the change from daylight saving time to standard time (colloquially known as “winter time”) take place in the fall—and in which direction must the clock be turned? The change always takes place…

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Ice buildup in the freezer is not only annoying, it also wastes energy. The thicker the layer of ice, the less efficiently the appliance works—and defrosting takes time and effort. There’s a surprisingly simple trick circulating online. Why ice forms in the first place Every time the freezer compartment is opened, warm, moist air enters. When this air comes into contact with the cold interior surfaces, the moisture condenses and freezes. Moist foods also contribute to this. How the aluminum foil trick works The method is simple: aluminum foil is…

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Our “hinge” between the head and body is exposed to massive strain when we use our cell phones frequently. This puts pressure on the so-called “atlas vertebra.” People stare at their smartphones for hours on end. Whether on the subway, in a café, or at home on the couch—their gaze is directed downward, their head tilts forward, and their posture becomes tense. Doctors are sounding the alarm because this habit can have serious consequences. The atlas vertebra, known as C1 in technical terminology, is the topmost vertebra in the cervical…

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Do you feel the same way? It feels like just yesterday we were putting our bare feet in the grass, sand, or water—and now that summer is over, thick socks are the order of the day. At least in the morning hours, which will really give us the cold shoulder in the coming week: By Friday, we could even see the first sub-zero temperatures in northern Styria, and even in Graz, the highest temperatures will be around 2 or 3 degrees Celsius when we get up in the morning. At…

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In the first half of 2025, houses and apartments became significantly more expensive again. According to Statistics Austria, prices rose by an average of 2.8 percent compared to the same period last year. New houses and apartments saw particularly strong growth, rising by 3.6 percent. Existing residential properties also became 2.6 percent more expensive on average, after prices had declined in 2024. Prices for houses and apartments rose in the first half of the year For existing residential buildings, the price increase in the first half of the year was…

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A rising number of severely overweight people, increased problematic alcohol consumption, and liver disease as a significant health problem: in many parts of the world, these developments are placing a strain on healthcare systems – and, in most cases, on the lives of those affected. Lifestyle changes are crucial for the treatment and prevention of these diseases. Understanding how alcohol consumption, an unbalanced diet, and other lifestyle factors are interrelated is, therefore, essential, researchers emphasize in a newly published study. How alcohol preferences influence overall lifestyle Surveys repeatedly show that…

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