Facebook says it’ll pay more taxes in Europe, mechanically enhanced locusts sniff out bombs for the military, and thousands of people are wondering why Team Snapchat left them hanging on Valentine’s Day.
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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says “I guess we should pay more taxes” during the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Zuckerberg is throwing his support behind international digital tax reforms that would require Silicon Valley tech giants to pay more tax in Europe. As of this recording, only excerpts of his speech are available, and ABC News is reporting that Zuckerberg says, “I understand that there’s frustration about how tech companies are taxed in Europe.” He goes on to say “we accept that may mean we have to pay more tax and pay it in different places under a new framework.”
OneZero is reporting that scientists funded by the United States Navy have successfully augmented locusts and hijacked their ability to sense various chemical odours and explosives. The research paper referenced in the story explains how scientists transformed the bugs into bomb detectors by implanting electrodes into the insects’ brains. The story has gone viral on Twitter, and in addition to some very appropriate Fifth Element references, a small debate broke out about whether or not it’s ethical to experiment on insects like this.
Apparently, for thousands of people, the only bright spot on Valentine’s Day is the cheery message from Team Snapchat. This weekend those people were left hanging and they took to Twitter to express their sadness and frustration. Interestingly enough, there were some who did receive their Team Snapchat Valentine’s Day message and decided to tell the world how happy they were. Sigh …
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