The Daily Dish: Salmonella Poisoning Could Damage Your DNA, According To Study

Salmonella Poisoning Could Damage Your DNA, According to Study

Not only is food poisoning an awful experience, but now new research from Cornell University suggests that it could also cause damage to your DNA. The study focused on salmonella food poisoning in particular, and found that certain serotypes (variations of the bacterial species) can permanently damage DNA, leaving victims more vulnerable to future illnesses, Cornell Chronicle reported. Among over 2,500 types of salmonella present, researchers looked into Typhi, a serotype that causes typhoid fever. This serotype was found to produce cytolethal distending toxin (S-CDT), which attacks cells and damages DNA. Rachel Miller, lead author of the study, used a sunscreen analogy to describe the potential harm S-CDT could do: "If you don't apply sunscreen, you can get a sunburn — and possibly develop skin problems later in life. While not the sun, salmonella bacteria may work in a similar way...there may one day be a chance that the DNA damage is not correctly repaired. We don't really know right now the true permanent damage from these salmonella infections."

This $150 High-Tech Coffee Mug Keeps Selling Out at Starbucks

Would you spend $150 on a coffee mug? Apparently Starbucks shoppers would, and did, as the 12-ounce Ember Temperature Control Mug is currently out of stock on the Starbucks online shop, and backordered on the company's website. It will, however, make its return in a matter of weeks. This mug isn't like your ordinary drinkware — its technology allows you to control and maintain the temperature of your brew to the degree, and for avid coffee drinkers, it's kind of a big deal. The temperature of the beverage can be controlled manually with a dial at the bottom of the mug, or through the Ember app on a smartphone or smartwatch. Through the app, you can "name" your mug, create temperature presets, and manage notifications.

Rocker Grace Slick Uses Chick-Fil-A Royalties to Support Gay Rights Group

Keen listeners during the Grammys might have noticed the unusual juxtaposition of a Jefferson Airplane song being played during a Chick-fil-A commercial. Jefferson Airplane (later Jefferson Starship) after all, was one of the most politically progressive bands of the Sixties and beyond, and Chick-fil-A's CEO has come out multiple times against same-sex marriage. But Grace Slick, former lead singer of the band, wants viewers and fans to know: There's a method to her madness. She sold the rights to the Starship song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" to Chick-fil-A, but is donating all royalties to Lambda Legal, the largest national legal organization working to advance LGBT rights. "See, I come from a time when artists didn't just sell their soul to the highest bidder, when musicians took a stand, when the message of songs was 'feed your head,' not 'feed your wallet,'" she wrote in a Forbes Op-Ed.

Pizza Hut Japan Brings Back its Cat-Run Pizzeria in 'Pizza Cat' Ad

In 2014, Pizza Hut Japan launched a series of videos featuring clumsy cats running a pizzeria. In the ads, the cats can be seen missing phone calls, sleeping through alarms, playfully mapping out their delivery routes, and struggling with their uniforms. This year, the fast-food chain is bringing its fake cat-run pizzeria back with its newest furry employee, Shinjin, Grub Street reported. In the second "Pizza Cat" ad, Shinjin can be seen hopping on a pile of coupons to promote Pizza Hut Japan's latest Pizza Cat coupon offer. If you're not in Japan, you may not be able to opt in on the Pizza Cat coupon, but you can still enjoy half-off pizza when you order online through Feb. 27 in honor of the Oscars.

Drink More Beer and Help Save New Zealand Beaches

Last year, New Zealand brewer DB Breweries and agency Colenso BBDO launched a campaign called "Brewtroleum," which transformed leftover brewer's yeast into biofuel. This year, the partnership is back again with an environmental initiative that allows consumers to drink beer to help save the beaches in New Zealand. According to the brewery, Adweek reported, two-thirds of the beaches in the world are retreating because their sand is being harvested for use in industries ranging from construction to pharmaceuticals. This campaign is pushing back against the high demand for New Zealand sand by featuring machines that crush empty glass bottles of DB Export into a sand substitute. The brewer will supply the DB Export Beer Bottle Sand to construction and commercial partners to help keep New Zealand beaches intact.