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Bill Gates Unleashes Swarm of Mosquitoes
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft founder turned philanthropist Bill Gates released a glass full of mosquitoes at an elite Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference to make a point about the deadly sting of malaria.
'Malaria is spread by mosquitoes,' Gates said while opening a jar on stage at a gathering known to attract technology kings, politicians, and Hollywood stars.
'I brought some. Here I'll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected.'" Say what you will about the guy, that is showmanship. Well done.
That's funny... however he was not complaining about viruses. Malaria is cause by small protozoa (single-celled organisms). Viruses don't have cells.
Colorless green Cthulhu waits dreaming furiously.
Even if they don't bite, he threatened and deliberately generated fear. That is the essence of assault. People get convicted using toy guns.
He said "there's no reason only poor people should be infected", not "there's no reason only poor people are elected". Poor people did nothing to deserve being infected.
Secondly, Bill Gate's little show had a lot more of a point than PETA getting naked. Whereas the latter is merely a publicity stunt, Gate's maneuver also serves to make potentially rich donors uncomfortable with the idea of the suffering of others by experiencing a small part of it. Nothing about PETA getting naked serves this sort of purpose.
Lastly, I also dearly hope that Bill Gate's political leanings aren't whats preventing you from otherwise helping to stop the spread of malaria...
"Question with boldness even the existence of a god." - Thomas Jefferson
As someone who researches Malaria for a living I must wholeheartedly support the funding that the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is bringing to the field of Malaria research. Malaria might only be a "poor" person disease but it affects tens of millions of people a year. Even on a selfish note, with global warming creeping up on us in the next few decades, perhaps this pre-emptive strike by the West will save us all getting sick in the long run.
Since the linked article (yes, I read it) has a picture of Gates with the jar open, you should not be modded "informative."
Put identity in the browser.
What has Gates done PERSONALLY to make slashdotters so hateful of him?
What has Gates done PERSONALLY to make slashdotters like him?
Free Martian Whores!
The statistics you quote simply do not support the argument you are making because they do not control for income.
I do not know if it is the case that you honestly do not understand statistics, or that you are using sophistry to push an agenda. Either way, your error should be obvious to an educated person.
A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
Yay, Urban Myths live on.
There is no Global DDT Ban. Due to overuse in America we ended up poising ourselves (basically when we were to spread it, the scientists/instructions said use 1 bag, the spreader used 10 bags, to be sure.)
DDT is still legal to use in Africa, and in fact, is being used. Its one of the most cost efficient methods at controlling Malaria. Its just more highly monitored than it was before (due to people using way too much.)
Go hit your wiki's, and find out more about the great DDT Myth, FUD brought to you by the anti-environmental movement, and embraced by the USA.
I used to believe that. Turns out there wasn't any hard evidence; the DDT ban came about almost wholly due to Rachel Carson's bestselling book SILENT SPRING, which has since been discredited as having no scientific basis. (And yes, I've read the book.)
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
Good lord guys.
There are labs, where they provide these kinds of animals. In lieu of convincing evidence to the contrary the reasonable assumption is the Bill Gates had a flunky call a lab, say "I'd like two dozen biting but non-infectious mosquitoes - they will be released into the open air as part of a PR stunt so it's important they be non-infectious."; and delivered said mosquitoes.
This is *less* dangerous than if he were talking about Bubonic Plague and released lab mice - the mice would chew on wiring.
Get a grip.
Pug
An Invisible Entity of Vast Power whose existence must be taken on faith alone: Liberal Media