Yesterday (the article was published on May 21), I completed the 10th "ask me anything" (AMA) online Q & A on reddit. I like AMA activities very much because reddit's user group has extensive knowledge and sharp problems, and good problems are usually put on the top. This year, I spent an hour answering questions about pandemic prevention, climate change, farmland, my mobile phone and so on. I wish I had time to answer more questions.
Here are some of my favorite questions and my answers:
Reddit user's question: in Netflix's series of documentaries, I was impressed by how you and your team used the generated nuclear waste as fuel to design a nuclear reactor. However, due to some political reasons, this design has never been implemented. My question is: given that this technology has the potential to become the most effective green energy and play a key role in reversing climate change, what is the current state of the project? Is it possible to build this nuclear reactor in the next few years? If so, do you plan to build in China or consider implementing the project in the United States? thank you.
My answer: we are still pushing forward this project. At first, the project was a joint venture between the United States and China, but the United States cancelled the project. So now we're building a demonstration reactor at a coal plant that's shutting down in Wyoming. In terms of the progress made in cost and safety, the reactor has a bright future. If it goes well, many reactors working together will help solve the problem of climate change. We hope that the first reactors to be built in the United States will face fierce competition in the end.
Do you have a medical degree? Why are you involved in medical problems? Why is your medical point of view important?
The Gates Foundation has many medical experts. Such work as eradicating malaria or developing new vaccines and treatments requires a lot of expertise in various fields. I listened to the experts' specific medical advice. A pandemic prevention system needs more than doctors, so I wrote a book to initiate a discussion on what the system should look like.
What do you think of climate change in the next 10-20 years? How should our civilization cope with climate change? What is our biggest challenge?
The key is that we can produce electricity, steel, cement and meat at the same or lower cost as now, while ensuring no carbon emissions. What I do at breakthrough energy is to fund innovators and help them expand their scale. I'm optimistic, because in the past three years, the funded companies have made great progress in innovation.
Why did you put pressure on vaccine researchers not to disclose the information of the new mRNA coronavirus vaccine as planned? Don't you think wider access to this information at such a critical time will increase the availability of vaccines?
Our foundation is funding low-cost vaccine manufacturers to produce mRNA vaccines. Previously, they used other platforms to produce new crown vaccines, but in the future, we will ensure that they can also produce mRNA vaccines. We are funding mRNA technology for the treatment of AIDS and malaria. All the research and development steps of the new coronavirus vaccine were completed before the autumn of 2020, which promoted the large-scale production of the vaccine, making us in a situation of vaccine surplus and oversupply. With the right technology, we can develop vaccines faster and more fairly in the future.
How did you deal with the pressure in a series of class action lawsuits in the 1990s and early 21st century?
Although those lawsuits are difficult, I am super lucky in life. I have a good team to work with me to help me solve problems and move forward.
Thank you for taking the time to answer the question, bill. I appreciate your work at Microsoft, the bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Berkshire Hathaway. I would like to ask, what do most philanthropists think of the return on investment of philanthropy? Most (billionaires) don't seem to spend much energy on this, but choose the areas they are most interested in. As far as I know, your funding for epidemiology and health is a high investment choice, because you think that money and commercial investment will bring the best value for money (some newspapers and media reported your fierce negotiating position to win us a vaccine, which is what you are good at, and I thank you for that). My question is: do you think most philanthropists still invest in philanthropy as they did when they created wealth? Which themes and business drivers can
I was shocked when I found that a person's life could be saved for less than $1000. This is what I learned when I read about the causes of child deaths from materials such as the 1993 world development report. Therefore, our foundation (with the generous support of Warren Buffett) has made this a priority. Our success in global health has far exceeded my expectations. I do often work with other philanthropists, including through "donation vows". This donation commitment organization helps people understand and encourage them to donate their wealth boldly.
Mr. Gates, what do you think of indoor agriculture?
For some high-value crops, indoor agriculture is feasible. For cereal crops such as wheat, rice and corn, this approach is not economical. We can significantly improve the seeds of all crops to increase production - a key investment to help reduce the problems caused by climate change.
Can you still jump from a standing position and jump over a chair?
Compared with the chair I could jump over when I was 30, the chair I can jump over now is smaller Much smaller. Now I try to keep fit by playing tennis often.
I received four doses of vaccine, but the 5g reception signal is still not good. Any suggestions?
You need to get the 5th dose of vaccine, only 4 doses. You can only use 4G network (LTE) at most.
I must have worn the wrong tin hat because it doesn't work for me.
Tin foil hat is a kind of hat made of aluminum foil. People wearing this kind of hat believe that it can help them avoid the influence of brain control, electromagnetic field, mind reading and mind control. The scientific community believes that this is suffering from mental diseases such as victim delusion and misled by pseudoscience. The term is often used to refer to conspiracy theorists.)
Hello, Mr. Gates. I'm your big fan. What advice would you give to young people who want to make a positive impact on the world? Greetings from Honduras.
The ideal approach is to read a lot, hoping to find a skill you like and can make an impact. For some, this means being good at science or engineering. For some, it means being a good communicator or a great politician. For some, it means becoming a nurse or doctor. Now, there are more and better opportunities to learn than ever before.
What are the prospects for nuclear energy?
Nuclear fission technology is now available. If we can solve the problems of cost, safety and waste, this technology can make a great contribution to solving climate change. I prefer it because I have invested more than $1 billion in it over the past decade. Nuclear fusion is also promising. It is too unclear whether we will succeed, but if we can succeed, there will be fewer problems of nuclear safety and waste. Therefore, I am full of hope for the progress of nuclear energy technology and believe that nuclear energy can play a great role in climate change.
What did you buy that brought you the greatest happiness?
If we can really succeed in eradicating polio, it will make me extremely happy. Approaching this goal requires a lot of patience and great strategy. So far, the most successful thing is to provide vaccine funding to poor countries through the global alliance for vaccines and immunization (GAVI). I do like hamburgers, beautiful tennis rackets and all the great streaming services, but none of them is my favorite.
Of all the books you've read, which five do you like best?
Smir's two latest books, the great transformation: how the modern world came into being and how the world really works, are great. Pinker has many good books, including better angels in our nature: why violence has declined. I've just finished the book "spoiled mind:" how steel is not tempered ", which is very good. Ezra Klein's" why we polarize "is also good. Of course, fiction books are more interesting, such as" heart "or" Moscow gentleman "or" all the lights we can't see "
In order to achieve the goal of "no more pandemic", how do you prevent further variation of the virus and solve the problem of vaccine adaptability?
We can produce vaccines with three additional characteristics: wide coverage, long protection time and effective blocking of infection. These needs have become the focus of research and development to prevent pandemics, but at the same time, they will also be very helpful to prevent various diseases.
Why is the new crown model in the United States very different from that in other countries? The United States has the most advanced vaccine and nearly 70% complete vaccination rate, but infection cases always rise after a short decline in a few days. From the statistics of the number of people infected and killed by the new crown, it seems that the pandemic should end in January or February. This model is rather strange.
New virus variants appear, along with immune escape. In addition, the immunity of the elderly decreases quite rapidly. When there are more cases of infection, people do change their behavior, and when there are fewer cases, they return to normal. Therefore, affected by seasons, virus variants and people's behavior, the infection rate will fluctuate greatly. Fortunately, Omicron is less lethal than previous variants.
Which developing countries are you most optimistic about?
Some so-called low - and middle-income countries have bright prospects - such as Vietnam, India, Pakistan and Indonesia. In Africa, the success of Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Ethiopia is also crucial. Ethiopia has been doing well before the civil strife, and I hope they can tide over the difficulties. Some small countries are doing well, but we need those big countries to do well.
What's wrong with the Oxford / AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine? Why not disclose information about vaccines so that all countries can produce them? I feel very sad about the slow progress of vaccination in third world countries.
The world does not have access to vaccines in a fair way. Countries like India have done well because of the joint efforts of the Gates Foundation, the Indian Serum Institute and the Indian government to produce 1.4 billion doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. It is a tragedy that the elderly in countries such as South Africa received the vaccine only after young people in other countries were vaccinated. My book talks about how we can do better next time. There are a large number of vaccines, but their distribution and demand still hinder the popularization of vaccines.
What is the biggest innovation you expect to see in global health and public health in the next 5-10 years?
We are getting to know the problem of malnutrition. Solving this problem is of great significance for 40% of children in Africa because their brain and body have never been fully developed. We still need to prevent and cure AIDS. We need to eradicate malaria (which will take decades). We are close to eradicating polio. Other areas, such as better contraception or research and prevention of premature and stillbirth, also show bright prospects..
Why do you think the world is completely unprepared for the new crown pandemic?
Infectious diseases are not as big a problem in rich countries as they used to be. And things like fires and earthquakes often have small-scale outbreaks to remind us. Europe or the United States experience very few pandemics, so it is easy for them to lack practice and special resources to respond. A few countries, such as Australia, have done better, accounting for only 10% of the deaths in the richest countries.
I am the second batch of award-winning students of gates Millennium Scholarship. I just want to thank you personally for your help and make me the first person in my family to go to college. Are you still participating in this scholarship program?
- Our foundation provided 20000 scholarships in the original project. We also have an ongoing project that, although small in scale, is still attracting outstanding students. Every time I meet students who have won scholarships and are committed to helping other children, I am always encouraged.
How many GME shares have you sold?
I have never been long or short in the stock of the game station.
What do you think will be the long-term impact of the COVID-19 on society? I am now living in New York, where one in five of us is infected with the new crown, and no one seems willing to stop the spread of the epidemic. Although I have been vaccinated, I was infected with Xinguan last week, and the symptoms are very serious. Because people are no longer willing to do anything to stop the spread of the epidemic, do you think everyone will experience the long-term impact of the new crown in the next few months?
Neither vaccine nor infection can prevent you from being infected again, but the symptoms of the disease will be milder and you will be less likely to spread the virus. Scientists funded by the Gates Foundation are working on vaccines to prevent you from becoming infected again, but at best these vaccines will take three to four years to develop. So until then, we will have to continue to receive booster shots (especially for those who are older or have complications).
What cell phone are you using?
I have a folding screen smartphone Galaxy zfold3 of Samsung Galaxy series. I will try different models. With the screen of this mobile phone, I have a great laptop and a mobile phone at the same time. I don't need other devices.
What can I do now to help combat climate change?
Green products, such as electric cars, synthetic meat or heat pumps for home heating / cooling, are emerging, which will require some additional costs. By buying these products, you will push them to expand production scale and reduce prices, so the "green premium" will be reduced. In addition to your political voice or the impact on the company you work for, this may be the greatest contribution you can make to combating climate change.
Hey, bill, what do you think of bitcoin and cryptocurrency?
I haven't bought either. I like to invest in something of value. The value of companies lies in how they make great products. The value of cryptocurrency is only that some people can determine the expenses paid by others, so it does not contribute to society like other investments.
A considerable number of people in my country believe (for some reason) that you are the culprit of the new coronavirus pandemic. You try to control them by injecting chips into humans through vaccines. What would you say to these people?
In 2015, I publicly expressed my concern that a sudden pandemic would kill tens of millions of people. The Gates Foundation funded vaccine research to save lives, and I invested billions of dollars in vaccines. I am proud that vaccines have halved the under five mortality rate (from 10% to 5%) over the past 20 years. The idea of implanting chips into vaccines is groundless. Why should I know where people are? What do I need this information for?
What do you think is the best way to crack down on politicians or bad news media spreading misinformation or politicizing public health issues?
I've been trying to stop this bad information. Some contents are obviously wrong, and now even if they are so wrong, they have not been stopped. People's enthusiasm for gossip makes rumors spread very fast, but the truth is not spread, because the truth is often boring. If these rumors prevent people from getting vaccinations and booster shots, I will feel very sad because vaccines have saved millions of lives.
How do you plan to use the purchased farmland?
My investment team bought these farmland. Farmland ownership is diverse, and the total area we buy is less than 0.1% of all farmland in the United States. We invest in farmland to increase production. Some farmland close to cities may eventually have other uses.
What is the appropriate level of Taxation for the rich?
The tax system must be progressive. If the system allows, the marginal tax rate exceeding 60% will often lead to many complex tax avoidance behaviors. It is strange to let the capital gains tax rate be lower than the ordinary income tax rate. The estate tax may exceed 60% - surprisingly, only a few countries have such a tax rate.