[Photograph: Business Insider]
In what's either a very clever or very depressing marketing twist, Business Insider has reported that Pizza Hut has created its very own OkCupid profile...just in time to remind those of us left alone this Valentine's day that there's always pizza. It's not purely a stunt—it's also a contest! "Every day, fans tweet marriage proposals [at us]. We're flattered, and we're into it" (apparently Pizza Hut received upwards of 10,000 proposals over social media in the last year). So now they're on the hunt for their number one fan, someone "zany" and "rad," to be the recipient of the Greatest Proposal Ever (which seems to amount to pizza for life). To enter, just send a video proposal on Instagram or Vine to Pizza Hut, tagged #CommitToGreatness, by February 21st. From there, they pick the 3 "most creative suitors," to take on a get-to-know-you trip where they'll narrow it down to one lucky bridge/groom to be.
[Photograph: Adam Kuban]
Over on Red Orbit, the news of a new study out of the University of Arizona has revealed that a substance in oregano oil might be an effective way to fight the norovirus. The report was published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, and the idea is that carvacrol (the aforementioned oil substance) attacks the protective protein shell of the norovirus, making it easier for antimicrobials to enter and destroy it. Norovirus, by the way, is often the culprit behind food-borne epidemics, and is especially tricky to treat in contained environments like hospitals and schools. Because the carvacrol acts on the external, rather than internal, features of the virus, it's unlikely that norovirus would ever be able to build up a resistance (plus, any disinfectant developed from it would be safe and non-corrosive. Unfortunately, if unsurprisingly, simply chowing down on oregano-blanketed slices isn't enough to be particularly helpful...but it can't hurt, right?
[Photograph: Metro/Alisa Burn-Murdoch]
And just in case you missed it yesterday, Edinburgh resident Alisa Burn-Murdoch was walking to work when she noticed the above. Apparently, someone at Papa John's was a little new to the dough game—the oozing mass was found dumped in a bin outside one of the chain's restaurants on Crown Street. Lesson (hopefully) learned: pizza dough expands! I just feel sorry for the hapless sanitation worker going along his usual route only to encounter this behemoth.
About the author:Kate Andersen is a Contributing Editor for Slice.