Category: General Interest

The Association for Consumer Information (VKI) has fact-checked various summer myths. Isotonic drinks in extreme heat? “For everyday life and normal physical activity, even in sweaty summer temperatures, the tried-and-tested classics of water, mineral water, and unsweetened tea are sufficient,” explains VKI nutritionist Teresa Bauer. During intense physical activity lasting longer than an hour (e.g., long hikes or extended bike rides), the body loses not only fluid but also essential minerals through increased sweating. “Isotonic drinks can help to compensate for this loss quickly,” says Teresa Bauer. “However, expensive sports…

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The first full moon of the astronomical summer is known as the Hay Moon in our region. Its origins go back a long way. It’s worth taking a look at the night sky today. At 9:17 p.m., the so-called Hay Moon or Buck Moon will rise over Vienna. It will be fully illuminated by the sun at 10:36 p.m. The July full moon is one of the lowest of the year; only the Strawberry Moon on June 11 was lower above the horizon. The reason is that after the summer…

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The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is spreading at an alarming rate in Europe, as several local institutions have recently reported. The insect was first sighted in France in 2015, and its spread is increasingly threatening biodiversity and agriculture in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Hungary. In Austria, the first case was documented on April 9, 2024, in the city of Salzburg. The threat posed by the Asian hornet to native honeybees is particularly worrying. The invasive species specifically hunts honey bees—and does so in a ruthless manner, lurking in…

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Heat alert: June 2025 breaks records again, becoming the hottest month in Western Europe since records began. According to the EU Earth observation program Copernicus, last month was the hottest June in Western Europe since measurements began. Worldwide, June 2025 was the third warmest June, trailing only June 2024 and coming close to the heat of June 2023. This means that record average temperatures have been measured for the third consecutive year. In Europe, which is warming twice as fast as the global average, particularly “extreme” temperatures were measured. Hottest…

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If so, you’re not alone. A woman recently posted in a Facebook group with 1.3 million members and asked the question: “Why do some chips have green edges?” It turns out that there is a plausible explanation for the green discoloration, and members of the group quickly provided possible explanations. This was reported by the British media outlet Mirror. Various explanations Some immediately pointed out the obvious: the part of the potato from which the chip was cut must have been green. Others, however, gave a more detailed, scientific explanation.…

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Fancy a short break? If you want to save money and don’t want to be away for too long, you should take a look around Europe. Here is an overview of the cheapest cities for travelers. If you want to spend a short break in Europe as cheaply as possible, we recommend the following ranking. The vacation home portal “Holidu” has compiled a list of the cheapest cities in Europe for travel-loving bargain hunters. The top 20 cheapest cities in Europe Budapest Barcelona Prague Szczecin Krakow Madrid Seville Zagreb Porto…

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The days when people would switch off their mobile phones in neighboring countries to avoid high charges for incoming calls are long gone. For many people, making phone calls and, above all, using mobile Internet are now ubiquitous and indispensable, even when traveling. However, depending on your location, surfing the web, sending emails and messages, and navigating via apps can still be associated with high costs. Additional charges may also apply for calls and text messages. “Roam like you’re at home”Since 2017, the “roam like at home” principle has been…

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“For everyday life and normal physical activity, even in sweaty summer temperatures, the tried-and-tested classics of water, mineral water, and unsweetened tea are sufficient,” said VKI nutritionist Teresa Bauer. During intense physical activity lasting longer than an hour, such as long hikes or bike rides, the body loses not only fluid but also minerals. “Isotonic drinks can help to compensate for this loss quickly,” said Bauer. However, expensive sports drinks are not necessary for this: “A simple home recipe consists of one part apple juice, two to three parts water,…

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Most of us are familiar with the unpleasant “pressure in the ear” when flying. However, sometimes it can lead to pain and sometimes even to what is known as barotrauma. An ENT doctor explains the cause and gives helpful tips. Air travel, as well as activities like diving or riding a cable car, can cause ear pressure. This is because while the air pressure in the external environment changes, the pressure in the middle ear remains relatively constant. These pressure differences are usually compensated for by the Eustachian tube, which…

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