Category: General Interest

July 2023 will be the world’s hottest month in “hundreds, if not thousands of years,” according to the chief climatologist at the U.S. space agency NASA. “We’re seeing unprecedented changes all over the world; the heat waves we’re seeing in the U.S., Europe, and China are breaking records,” Gavin Schmidt said. Several heat records have already been surpassed this month, according to measurements from the European Union and the University of Maine, which use ground and satellite data to create models for preliminary estimates. Although they differed slightly, the trend…

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If your email is compromised, you are vulnerable… here are six mistakes many people have made at some point. It’s hard to remember when we didn’t use email for everything. Work, socializing, shopping receipts, sharing photographs, sharing jokes… Our email address logs us into our banks, online shopping profiles, dating websites, and more. It’s almost as crucial to our online identity as our name is to our real-life identity. Email has gone from something so new that we had to remind people not to print them out unnecessarily to being simply…

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As soon as they board the plane, many people turn off their cell phones or turn on airplane mode. But what happens if you forget to do that? Before takeoff, anyone on an airplane hears, “Please make sure all electronic devices, such as smartphones or tablets, are turned off or in flight mode.” But why? At one time, cell phones were said to be able to emit signals in the same frequency band as the aircraft’s communications and navigation systems. In other words, electromagnetic interference occurs, and the plane can…

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This year’s summer has it all. Those active in spore-high outdoor temperatures and intense sunshine should follow some basic rules. Because even when doing nothing, we are bothered by permanent fatigue and circulatory problems. One must know what is additionally expected of our bodies through active sporting activities and how to react individually. Fluid loss through urine and breath usually is about two litres per day. However, if temperatures rise, this value doubles up to 30 degrees Celsius in summer. If these losses are not replenished immediately, there is a…

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“Not everything comfortable in summer temperatures is also suitable for driving a vehicle. Even if it is not directly prohibited by law, vehicle drivers should not take any risks here,” says ÖAMTC lawyer Verena Pronebner. In principle, any person may only operate a car, motorcycle or bicycle where it can be safely controlled. Legal consequences are conceivable if a traffic accident was partly caused by specific footwear. “This includes cases in which different footwear could have prevented the accident,” the ÖAMTC lawyer notes. Then there are also consequences under insurance…

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The EU has decided that batteries for devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops will be replaceable by users themselves. The new requirements will be applied from 2027 at the latest, EU member states announced Monday in Brussels. Negotiators from the member states and the European Parliament had previously negotiated a corresponding compromise, which has now been confirmed. Meanwhile, the document has been signed by the EU Council. The new regulations aim to improve the circular economy. Batteries will be collected and recycled at the end of their service life.…

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Bavaria is stepping up controls in the area near the Czech Republic and Austria border. In August, the riot police will support the Bavarian border police with additional units, “especially for dragnet controls,” Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) said in Munich on Friday. To this end, up to 50 riot police officers would be assigned to the border police weekly for focal point checks. “A main focus will be the fight against illegal migration and smuggling of migrants,” Herrmann explained. He added that the Free State had significantly strengthened…

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Ocean tides caused by the Moon act like brake pads, slowing Earth’s rotation. If our planet’s rotation depended solely on Earth’s satellite, a day would have to be 60 hours long by now. But the sun has slowed Earth’s rotation to a halt for about a billion years, ensuring today’s 24-hour day length. Global warming, however, could intensify the slowdown in the future. Researchers from Canada and France came to this conclusion through geological studies of tidal deposits and with the help of climate models. The analysis was published in…

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To enjoy the sun healthily, ÖGK recommends adequate protection against sunburn and sunstroke. “In 2022, 3,474 people in Austria needed medical treatment for acute consequences of heat or intense sun exposure. In 2021, the figure was 2,566 patients,” says ÖGK Director General Bernhard Wurzer. Protection from the sun is often underestimated.“Heat stress and exhaustion should not be underestimated. Illnesses such as sunstrokes, sunburns or sun allergies can have long-term effects on health,” Wurzer explains. Most people who received medical treatment for heat stress had sunstroke. Meningitis is triggered by prolonged,…

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