Why Bill Gates Is Optimistic About Climate Change | "There's incredible innovation.."

How does one of the richest men in the world run a business? Is artificial intelligence going to be as big as the Windows PC? What politicians does Bill Gates admire?
Bill Gates joins Rory and Alastair on today's episode of Leading to answer all these questions and more.
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#billgates #climatechange

[@Iamjimpage]

I love that pause at 4:01 when he realises “oh, I can’t just use my set PR statements, this guy knows what he’s talking about”

[@joejohnson6327]

That didn't stop him from spewing the usual crap he deals in...

[@guythat1185]

My Boy's Wicked Smart

[@dhumpherson]

Slam dunk

[@chrisjameswarren88]

Exactly what I thought too! Also, over the subsequent couple of minutes his realisation he might not be the most knowledgeable person in the room on this issue!

[@freedomforall236]

​@@guythat1185Eugenics whiz kid

[@prasadrao2895]

What I like about this channel is that they have follow-up questions based on the answers they are given.

[@mac2105]

So... they listen and think? Rare qualities indeed...

[@edwardsudall9401]

Great conversation. Questions were more frank than I ever expected, which was refreshing, especially in discussing elephants in the room head-on. Great to hear from Bill and good for him to be open to the questions and conversation.

[@ayrmendina8314]

In these comments you're going to have a lot of "Rory got em" etc. I just want us to all be adults and recognise this is a 1-hour discussion shared with folks who share different politics; perspectives and views. And I'm very appreciative that this was able to be had. I appreciate Bill for partaking in such a discussion when quite frankly he doesn't need to have much opposition to his perspective in this day and age. And I appreciate Rory for not sending softballs and allowing for both of them to get into the trenches of both their interests and seeing where they diverge. Both smart men. I think it's a tad unfair to comment on such when one has come prepared with data and the other hasn't been given the same opportunity.

[@Iamjimpage]

I think that’s an admirable but naive way of looking at it. Gates is projected as an expert on the subjects that Rory pushed back on, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect Gates to have the answers

[@cdorman11]

@@Iamjimpage To what end? If Rory sums up Gates by complimenting his endless curiosity, well, I'm curious what Rory's smirk meant. I'd rather have heard Gates ask what compelled that smirk rather than rehashing what time-sharing access he had at age 13. Where did Rory think he was going with that? That the Green Revolution of Asia can't happen in Africa? That Gates is powerless to prevent war so he should give up? That Africa should be ceded to Chinese soft diplomacy?

[@mattinterweb]

The level of this discourse is so far above what you hear on an American political show. Keep up the good work guys, we need more of this in the world of politics.

[@varcoliciulalex]

I really like the fact that when unhappy with an answer they don't insist too much of it but on the other side they are asking some relevant and sometimes even sensitive questions.

[@billyo54]

Rory's final assessment on Bill Gates is astute. I found Gates to be quite cautious in his answers while at the same time courageous in his endless curiosity.

[@drdecorator9532]

He’s probably been coached by Blair’s sidekick

[@drdecorator9532]

@@inherreign I meant Gates being coached by Ali

[@touchofsound]

The "afterglow" was the best part of the conversation - thank you Rory and Alastair!

[@NessieAndrew]

They're really good character judges.

[@debatablelands_ratcher6354]

Rory scurried away from my towns battle with the housing association, the housing lot put the wrong heat pumps in the OAP s houses and there bill went up 100s of percent, and Rory bottled it and never came back, the wimp

[@Ken-pi7qk]

Definitely

[@serenth8310]

@@debatablelands_ratcher6354 This sounds fairly bizarre. Heat pumps aren't commonly put in houses and this should be a legal rather than a political one.

[@debatablelands_ratcher6354]

@@serenth8310 iv got an air source heat pump in my house , costs a fortune to get bearly any heat, i think rory was there for the community but done nothing to help, the counciler was married to the housing association chairman , the community had no chance

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Having watched many of these interviews I do think that the key to what makes them so effective is the lightness, gentleness and humour - as well as the intelligences at work. The humour lights the shows up and never fails to be quite shocking to me when talking about such dark subjects. It's a fine balance to strike and is hearteningly well done here. There's a sense of real time honesty and sincerity in the presenters, without which the show would fail.

[@user-ge5qb3xq5m]

😂😂😂

[@travismurdock2875]

Love when guests realise how smart Rory is 😂

[@oldschool3670]

Hmmmm

[@jameshodgkins559]

Wrong’ns all 3

[@andypandy1986]

@@jameshodgkins559 agreed

[@beepresent8636]

He was the only Conservative I would have EVER voted for.

[@beepresent8636]

​@@jameshodgkins559 why? This is a debate after all. Don't do a trump and say something with out any reason or evidence. Come On?

[@jennycalvin5927]

This is the best Bill Gates interview that I’ve watched. That’s a true credit to the interviewers. Thank you both for your insight.

[@fionaetienne1693]

😂 Alistairs face when Rory suggested Bill had 10 active years left 😂

[@colincampbell4261]

15 if you listen!

[@ncp321]

@@colincampbell4261 "10-15 years", he said..

[@dinoflame9696]

and calling China bad guys... jfc

[@tabbymrp]

I've only discovered this channel two days ago! And boom!!! Got a massive one today.

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

It seems pretty disingenuous to look at percentages of poverty dropping enormously across a continent, and then say "Yeah but what about in this one country that's the worst one? And what about if you ignore percentages and just look at the raw number of people in poverty" even though you know the population scale has more than doubled.

[@marcusaurelius9123]

Agree. Rory fixated on Malawi a long term basket case

[@justjackman]

The post interview analysis was the best part of the podcast!

[@MrTurjacanin]

Rory is the one asking/stating the hard stuff/pushing back

[@BanterRanterr]

Would be amazing PM 😢 but instead we got Clown...

[@sharenpaine9989]

I'm surprised that Bill gates doesn't take more of a systems view of the issues he's interested in. He's focused on individual issues but not on their interconnectedness. His comments about global warming reflect this well - if the people living near the equator can't harvest their own food then where do they go (mass migration) and what impact does that have? No issue exists in isolation and I think Rory sees this in his final comments on poverty. Thank you :)

[@anwiycti1585]

It’s time for some education to the one atop the pedestal 😂

[@petewilliamson6512]

Well said

[@pj20050]

28:16 Alistair's reaction lmao

[@ralphzimmermann]

what was he mouthing? i couldnt figure it out.

[@Eoaiyer21987rhei]

Think he says, "oh, Rory"

[@dpact4201]

@@ralphzimmermann It's "I hope it's more than that!" Also, the Alistair eyeroll at 23:19 is a classic. I admire Rory's poise in continuing to ask questions after putting an upper limit on the span Bill Gates's active life! I would melt into the floor from mortification.

[@Ambition-Ability]

I feel like Rory and Bill should be friends, but they've started off on the wrong foot and are now locked into a kind of weird "Nerd off". Alistair teased Rory in that direction, and that's probably spot on. It seems like a throwaway comment but they know each other so well by now (Alistair and Rory) that it can't be. The other unspoken thing is Bill is probably fed up of having people like Rory, who are passionate about international development and think they have the answer (rightly or not), and just need $10 billion. I imagine he is stalked endlessly by well connected intellectuals who want to save the world.

[@narendra62]

Good quality interview. So glad to hear Alastair be clam. He was totally deranged over Brexit.

[@killercarpcatcher]

I think being optimistic and not being dragged in to the politics gets him into more rooms than being negative and offensive. Very clever

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

I find it interesting that they found that interesting. I think that's how MOST smart billionaires act, they ride the line to be sure no matter whose in office they can get what they want. People like Elon are a radical outlier.

[@crappymeal]

Indeed, he wants to get things done instead of getting bogged down in gossip and politics

[@daykz69]

It was an interesting listen but he has obviously developed a diplomatic persona over the years, therefore not willing to over reach in any question that you asked of him. It’s understandable to a point, yet left me disappointed for lack of specific commitment in his answers.

[@susancerezo401]

I agree, it was a very interesting podcast. They always are !!!!!;; But, married to someone who is on the Asperger syndrome....not diagnosed, but I am convinced of it, I feel pretty sure that Bill Gates is there too. I feel it explains a lot of his inability somehow to answer the more personal, emotional questions. It is very hard to describe that to someone who isn't familiar with such people. But it felt very, very familiar to me !

[@kuecheaufbauen]

Totally agree. He is giving the audience some headline but is not willing to show the full depth.

[@SK-hq6ux]

As an African and not even anti-vac by current standards- I always feel uncomfortable in how Bill Gates thinks and paints a certain narrative that Africa's growth is connected to increased vaccinations.

[@ayrmendina8314]

I mean.. he's not wrong. Civilisation's longevity is tied to its population size and ability to work. More people able to survive, leads to increase in work, which leads to a country's growth, which leads to an increased standard of living. Vaccines are just akin to any other success in 1st World Countries: "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain". Please don't take something that has been taken for granted in some countries that have solved Maslow's hierarchy for so long, and bastardise and villanize it for those without when we can clearly see a direct line related to human civilisation's increased age longevity. Look at the vaccine rates in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia etc where we have over the past two decades seen both GDP growth, but also increased life longevity.

[@firstnamelastname9631]

Don't limit yourself to a detail like vaccines, think about the mothership: medicine. If modern medicine was universal and free, Africa would be/could be the powerhouse of the world.

[@crabapple1974]

He is not wrong and his foundations work has done tremendous work. But it is not the only factor. As a white European I am not and African and can only offer my outside perspective. But it seems a complex mix of issues both internal and external.

[@crabapple1974]

As someone who has studied a bit of public health, hospitals are an end of pipe solution. Clean water, infrastructure, food, vaccines etc are way way more important than medicine per se. Modern medicine has a huge impact in the individual case but very little impact on global health. This was actually covered in one of my introductory lectures in med-school. Public health is where it is at on a global/national level. Modern medicine is for when you have a coronary infarction or an accident.

[@firstnamelastname9631]

You are so polite. English I gather?@@crabapple1974

[@nabilfreeman]

Babe wake up, new The Rest Is Politics with Bill Gates just dropped

[@hmq9052]

You sound ridiculous

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

This is seriously a small part of why I don't have a girlfriend. I might actually do these things.

[@tomonetruth]

@@hmq9052 He's right, though. Pass it on.

[@ralphzimmermann]

Released! God damn it! But I share your sentiment.

[@jezlawrence720]

Well done for presenting additional numbers to challenge bills positivity with. I think hes right strategically - with a helicopter view africa as a continent is better off than it was. But where bad spots erupt or persist its still very bad. Important to highlight that the big picture may be good but we cant let it gloss over millions of people in dire straits just because millions more are doing better, otherwise we'll miss the early signs of the trend changing.

[@jimb9063]

Yes unfortunately a helicopter view is all that's available to one individual when it affects millions or billions of other individuals. Was recently talking to my eldest daughter about a similar thing. She works in a nutrition and dietetics department in a hospital. She has to use what she's learned is best for the "average" person, and apply it to individuals. This has meant some decisions made run counter to the general advice learned for the all over well being of each individual.

[@crabapple1974]

Both things can be true. Absolute numbers are probably not down as much or even up but relative numbers are down. The key is the increase in population in these areas. It is hard to make a point about what the impact of him not doing the work he has done would have been. I just think it is weird that we are at the mercy of single individuals like this. For good and bad. You don’t have to like the guy to realize the immense of good work he (and his foundation) has done.

[@Wasengenyie]

Bill Gates is a neocolonist billionaire like Cecil Rhodes. Him and his fellow billionaires are trying to grab Africas resources using "aid". They want our wildlife and forests assets. Let see how it will pan out.

[@An-Orange-Fox]

Fucking awesome work guys , what a great guest !

[@freedomforall236]

What a 😈 sounds like 👍

[@BigChompinc]

I liked his honesty around climate change it was refreshing to hear someone in his position be frank about not meeting 2 degrees target, Seemed to take Alastair back a bit aswell.

[@DanielHill-h1o]

Thank You all Im humble i am Greatful

[@Heather-zk5eu]

Bill Gates the Philanthropist 🤣🤣🤣

[@odeode4338]

The only men in history who got richer by giving away his money.😂

[@TheBoomtown4]

How much do you give away because he’s given billions

[@odeode4338]

@@TheBoomtown4 wrong, he made billions by giving away his fortune. Ever wondered why?

[@TheBoomtown4]

@@odeode4338 he makes billions by investing the rest of his money, not by giving away malaria vaccines

[@GabrielNicho]

@@odeode4338He hasn't made billions, the stock that he gave the foundation is hugely inflated in value...so he seems richer...but the entire stock market is overheated...

[@zedz6390]

What a coup for the show, great guest and conversation.

[@macktravels68]

Outstanding Interview!!! Deep thought. Really good.

[@josephdebri8941]

New vaccines, seeds, livestock for Africa. God help them.

[@willdon.1279]

"God" is their major problem, not a help. Science will help, but nothing is infallible; Educating girls, and not having more children than you can care for, would also be a major step forward.

[@dawncole551]

⁠@@willdon.1279 I suggest you watch a documentary called “The War On Our Children”, to understand that this so called education of girls in Africa, is happening but in ways that are actually causing more harm by ‘sexualising’ these children. African countries are trying to fight back, but according to African health representatives are being told that the foreign aid funding will be stopped if they don’t comply. I travelled extensively in Africa for a year and malaria was not a big issue, but their diets is based around Cassaver (spinach like veg), Nsima (corn/maize- which they eat every meal😂) and always meat and lots of fruits. I saw strong people. This man is not a philanthropist. Whilst visiting the northern area of Zanzibar I was informed by a local boat guy that Mr Gates owned an island off of this area where people pay thousands per night to stay there. His and other boats were not allowed anywhere near it. Whilst the number of tourist hotels etc were nice around the coastal mainland the infrastructure was poor, no roads and poor lighting - he does not care about even his back yard. My friend is an Indian NGO, she informed me also that he has not helped the people in ways that would benefit the people but that he could profit from. I suggest also you check out Vandana Shiva for more in-depth context

[@YakubKang]

EPSTEINS BEST MATE

[@DanielHill-h1o]

Thank You women Thank You Men

[@DirtiestDeeds]

I found his sanguine view of us passing 2 degrees of global warming utterly terrifying.

[@billyshakespeare17]

If that bothered you then please, for your own mental health, refrain from looking at past meteorlogical history.

[@tawektawek3838]

I thought his approach was mostly sensible. Global warming is already terrible in its effects, and it will get much much worse. However, if we talk as though 2 degrees is the end of the world, then we run two risks. Some will feel that, if 2 degrees is inevitable, then there is nothing to be done. Others, once we reach 2 degrees, that our direst predictions didn't come true, so continued warnings about the future will be worthless. As I understand it, while science knows a lot about global warming, there is a lot we don't yet know. There may be a trigger point where passing a particular threshold will lead to run-away and irreversible disaster; or it may be the damage will be incremental based on how high the temperature goes, and it may be the damage will only be seen progressively over time. I fear he's right that 2 degrees is inevitable. If so, the battle ahead is to keep the rise as low as possible, and then to press for changes to bring the temperature down a bit. However, I agree that he understated the damage to temperate regions. Catastrophic climate change in the tropics will lead to an enormous increase in migration which will create horrendous problems, not just in the deadly consequences for the people in the countries affected, but in the enormous migration flows that will result. Populist dissension over migration from poor countries to rich is already a serious challenge to our democracies. In future, it will become far more serious.

[@DirtiestDeeds]

When he casually said "europeans will have to get air conditioners like America" blah blah blah, accompanied by the zero pushback from the hosts just astonishing. @@tawektawek3838

[@Aran_chini]

@@billyshakespeare17what period(s) in particular?

@@Aran_chini Ignore the slow lying right wing fool.

[@briancollins1149]

you guys ask way better questions than american interviewers

[@A33-y4v4t]

Fantastic guys, great work!

[@kuribojim3916]

This man is a treasure for the world.

[@nickbarton3191]

Rory silenced him with stark facts. Not very rosy for very many people.

[@ToastieBRRRN]

I think his remark at the end about better health standards in developing countries doesn't necessary equate to improve life standards was on point. Saying Bill was too focused on one aspect of why people are suffering.

[@NoddyTron]

I actually think Rory was being a bit hypocritical there - specifically with his Iran example. If someone came up to him with anecdotal evidence about something he disagreed with, he would fall back on stats and studies to prove the guy wrong. But anecdotal evidence that he's got from Iranians, he takes that over the stats. I'm not saying one is right or wrong, but it does show a bias for taking whatever evidence backs your own position. Human nature I suppose.

[@firstnamelastname9631]

Stewart thinks micro whilst Gates thinks macro. Rough analogy but true.

[@nickbarton3191]

@@firstnamelastname9631 I don't think that Stewart's facts were micro. Africa is a continent, admittedly not as populated as Asia but there's been no or negative progress regarding poverty, according to Stewart. Let's hope that Gates is right, and there'll be good progress over the next decade.

[@nickbarton3191]

@@NoddyTronI was referring to what Stewart said about poverty in Africa. Gates was silent for a good while before he could come up with something positive.

[@fillrobs7726]

Great stuff - Kim Jong Un next 😂

[@danutahull9319]

A good style interview from the UK guys covering many topics , including personal questions with the legendary Bill Gates and Bill responded to everything with good grace ☑️ 🙏♥️

[@phemykadri9487]

I’ll qualify the statement about “Africa being better than it was years ago”. Nigeria, for example has regressed significantly.

[@firstnamelastname9631]

Nigeria is the loud cousin of Afrika, a lot more going on.

[@Grandfinal43]

That’s a blanket statement - Nigeria’s soft power through food culture and music has grown significant. Ask most African diaspora where the place to be is in December and they’ll all say Nigeria. Mismanagement of governance is certainly a problem but a regression is too simplistic

[@mind-ful-music]

10, 15, 20 years of active life left... Alastair's reaction is brilliant, and Bill seems very offended by that!

[@odeode4338]

People like Bill hate nothing more but be reminded that they are dinosaurs

[@511848]

love the podcast and the Yeti mugs on the table. Thank you guys.

[@DusanPavlicek78]

Very smart questions, I liked that.

[@wills2552]

That was very good, Gates is a master at saying quite a bit but at the same time nothing at all, but whatever your views he is a serious person with a passion for making an impact where he feels it will work. He's not a billionaire playboy dandy like some of the others.

[@crappymeal]

I feel he's only interested in talking about important things instead of gossip

[@InstallaFriend]

The way Bill Gates comes across with these answers makes me think he couldn't even pass a job interview today.

[@InstallaFriend]

@@inherreign Ok, now imagine if he wouldn’t be and instead he was on the other side of the table as an applicant. Would you hire him if he behaved the same way as he did in this interview?

[@theGraphicAutist]

Bill: K you guys are gonna throw me a bunch of softballs and I'm gonna still somehow deflect and not answer the question you asked...

[@mrstephenpariah]

Elephants everywhere

[@andrewsmith-jf6ou]

A master at dodging answering the questions.

[@freedomforall236]

He's a 😈👺💀

[@willdon.1279]

@@freedomforall236/@andrew... I was wondering where you all were. 🙂

[@freedomforall236]

@willdon.1279 Who??? The critical thinkers, who see through all the 🐂💩

[@BlackVinylMusic]

4 minutes in and Rory throws a curve ball, that was amazing

[@veranichole1981]

Asking Bill Gates about Climate Change is an awful lot like asking Gary Pilnick (the Kellogg’s CEO) about world hunger. Of course he’s optimistic! He’s going to invent the thing that will save us all and continue to allow us to plunder the earth of every drop of its resources. Why do we ask rich people about social justice issues when they are the ones who cause and create the turmoil we suffer under?

[@joeDi1960]

Bill Gates comes over as sincere and decent - Rory doesn’t like him because he didn’t give direct cash to the poor in Africa but he has his own methods for helping Africa and I respect that

[@tawektawek3838]

I don't understand Rory's argument. The Gates Foundation has $69 billion in assets. If it even managed to give $6 billion a year in cash payments in unconditional cash payments, that would be less than $9 a year per person in extreme poverty. Surely, Bill Gates is right. He simply doesn't have the resources to give the $1000 per person that Rory is suggesting.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Rory was just asking Bill about his view on direct giving. Gates gave a clear and reasonable answer.

[@alexkuznetsov4334]

Impressive guest! Great interview!

[@BusterMove78]

What a catch, can't wait to watch.

[@1234567marks]

It always feels to me that people give Gates a hard time in interview, I think it boils down to this, he’s put an awful lot of his own time and money into helping tens of thousands of people, and he didn’t have to help a single one of them.

[@t5kcannon1]

​@@inherreign 10 / 10 for that deeply ignorant comment about the British Empire. Is your ignorance natural, or do you deliberately try? Just asking.

[@Grandfinal43]

@@t5kcannon1oh we got an imperialist yawn

[@adamblackman6660]

Remember when he denied usage of his patented vaccine during the worst part of the pandemic… India had all the tools to go into production to produce the vaccine… but how would that benefit Bill? Ah sooo a bunch of people die for lack of his secret recipe, on a sauce he didn’t invent… well it’s 2024 now and all cause mortality is up everywhere…. Especially in places that were very compliant during the pandemic… So who is Bill … a medical pioneer without a medical degree? Or a profiteer, without morality. He has more than doubled his wealth “helping the world”

[@QwentyJ]

​@@inherreignWow, we know. You've literally gone through the entire comments section just to make this one point

[@dawncole551]

he didn’t help a single one - he profited from them. There have been two books written about Mr Gates this yr. Please read them and then form an opinion.

[@deanobucket123]

Bill Gates sitting there telling us about climate change, bro has a carbon footprint the size of Jupiter. 😂

[@ralphzimmermann]

There is/was a documentary on Bill Gates on Netflix, well worth a watch. The guy is an exceptional intellect. This podcast was a fantastic listen, felt like 15 minutes not one hour!

[@Mike_Viola]

Very insightful interview, thanks so much for this gentlemen.

[@5kribbles]

Really? I found his answers incredibly vapid.

[@nigelwylie01]

@@5kribbles Therein lies the insight for me.

[@tomonetruth]

@@5kribbles I agree. I like Bill Gates but don't feel I learned much from this. Surprisingly boring.

[@curt3494]

This podcast is like watching Skeletor interview Sauron.

[@brownboytravels]

It is amazing the bubble these people live in! He has no idea of the real world he is just regurgitating figures from NGO reports presented and feeling good about himself

[@TigerP1]

Very happy to see this on YT already. It is a very important broadcast. I sent it to the Development committee of the European Parliament.

[@VoltRei]

I love to see Bill talking.Because is really interesting! I super love to seeing your smile.hahaha ❤😂

[@VoltRei]

Your wife are so beautiful.

[@willdon.1279]

An excellent and informative discussion between 3 smart, capable, and incidentally very decent human beings - who some people I know, think are devils incarnate!

[@TheSackblabbath]

Wow! You got Bill Gates. Well done.

[@davidlamb7524]

33:40 on AI "Good guys - bad guys" ! Oh dear. This is worrying. Where are these imaginary "good guys" ?

[@deborahhoffman7394]

Poverty and health. One cannot accomplish anything without health. Gates priorities are solid.

[@ehnowthen]

Pure evil

[@khj5582]

The question I want to ask him is if his sole motivation all along was not coding, not software, not philanthropy, but money and power.

[@brixan...]

These interview questions are so good wtf

[@ROALD.]

Sharp questions lads, weak answers though! But great job with the guest

[@Mike-zz5kz]

5:15 I find that little chuckle when talking about children dieing before the age of five a little disturbing.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Just nerves

[@fromyorkshire]

Alastair’s face when Rory suggests Bill has as little as ten years left of “active” life! 🤦‍♂️🤣 28 minutes in…. 😂

[@peacefulpleb]

Great interview chaps.

[@wayneb145]

Lock bill Dr evil gates up for the rest of his life!!!!!

[@StPete.308]

Excellent interview with Bill Gates! When you wonder (or remark) about how he isn't helping Joe Biden, I would suggest that he probably is, and that if he is he's certainly not going to say so.

[@twelvebears1971]

I’d have been very excited to do this interview. Nice to hear from a billionaire who doesn’t seem to be actively trying to ruin the planet.

[@fintech1378]

you must be a bitter broke with broken life

[@Contraster671]

Bill Gates is an obsessive - period. I don’t think he has room for debate because he knows best and his empathy is limited. Rory tried to engage him, but you don’t have that with Gates. So I totally agree with Rory’s summation there is a balance between health and personal wealth. Gates doesn’t understand this and hence why ‘tablet’ technology was a game changer. It removed our dependency on Microsoft being able to solve everything, when it couldn’t.

[@ed1726]

1. Drop in democracy. 2. Huge wealth inequality. 3. Africa extreme poverty. Well let me answer 1 and 3 immediately.

[@marafi2]

0:05 My wife asked me why I was speaking so softly at home. I told her I was afraid Mark Zuckerberg was listening! She laughed. I laughed. Alexa laughed. Siri laughed.

[@DanielHill-h1o]

Sounds crazy 😂

[@colincampbell4261]

Some of the covid vaccines are "dodgy", very poor trials.

[@deborahcox1773]

May I aks a question? I would enjoy hearing Mr. Gates engage in a debate about fiscal responsibility. I would think that would be cool. And the question is, Can you please arrange for an interview with Mr. Gates regarding fiscal responsibility. Have an amazing Easter.

[@joeking4206]

It's a pity you didn't ask him about his enormous farmland ownership and supply of potatoes to McDonalds for french fries.

[@yvesarns137]

Philanthrop - LMAO

[@Zifferony]

As someone has already commented on. It was entertaining to see Bill Gates’ rosy views on Africa challenged with specific examples which forced him to stutter a bit before getting back to the business of trying to sell his positivist mantra of “everything is better today”. After Rory’s examples however, Gates’ arguments felt very generalising about this place called Africa. As if it’s all a homogeneous place. Likewise Gates’ did not at all manage to sell the whole ‘2° C temp increase is not such a bad thing’- argument. He was very focused on agriculture only. What about biodiversity, new diseases and natural disasters like storms? No mentioning of that. As long as we can manipulate crops so that we will still be able to feed the human populations I suppose everything will be fine. 🤔 Question for Alister and Rory: I commend you on challenging this subject as much as you did. I recognise that this must have been a very juicy catch. Do you feel there was room to challenge the things he said more than you did without going overboard? If so, what parts of the interview? 🙂

[@ColinSmith2001]

Agree on 2C. I think in engineering terms it is just about "manageable" in the west, I just see the costs (cash and change) involved in flood defense and relocation works, over decades, as being so far beyond what the general public anticipate and would support. With the hard decisions being needed 30+ years before the effects become clear enough to tick the "common sense" boxes :(

[@jimb9063]

Yes I noticed that too. Also started talking about how Asia was more successful, before conceding Africa wasn't as successful. I understand your frustration when points aren't pressed further, it drives me up the wall in political discussion. Let off the hook, yet again. In a conversation like this covering many topics however, it's easy to get bogged down on a tiny detail which can easily take up far too much time. I don't think Rory needed a victory dance, his points weren't answered very convincingly IMO. Duly noted.

[@jimb9063]

@@ColinSmith2001 Possibly the worst aspect of contemporary democracies. What will get you elected next time is far more important than the long term. It's like the well known problem of those who seek power and are good at getting it can often turn out to be the last people you want in charge. What do we do, force the likes of Rory and Ian Hislop to form a government at gunpoint?!

[@ColinSmith2001]

@@jimb9063 It would be an improvement but their own lack of engagement in the "who in government does long term planning" Q&A question from a few weeks back was not ideal either....

[@jimb9063]

@@ColinSmith2001 Maybe having no plan is the best plan, in the Bismarck style. Or is all the time taken up with planning to avoid disasters rather than planning for something positive?

[@tonygold1661]

Brilliant. Varied thoughts. Thank you.

[@TaniaPotivar]

Bill Gates no more EVIL

[@deborahhoffman7394]

Gates has very specific goals and is committed to seeing them realized. He has perseverance.

[@notuber1435]

The more philantropy we see, the more inequality. Maybe we don't need those great philantropists..

[@jezlawrence720]

Nice try on the cash idea rory :)

[@LeonardoDCatreo]

Great conversation.

[@rpb583]

Why is Rory dressed as Blofeld from a bond film?

[@largesatsuma]

Quite a coup to get Bill Gates on your programme. Hugely enjoyable, as always.

[@ChrisGamble]

Awesome

[@markbradley2367]

As always, fascinating discussions. I especially enjoy 'your washup' at the end . I always feel so much more uplifted after watching your podcasts . Amazing to think when Alistair was 'In power' I used to think he'd sell his own grandmother to get what he wanted. Sorry, I was wrong.

[@johnwright9372]

Many charities in developing countries have learned that if you just give people money they either waste it or their officials steal it. One example decades ago was a gift of tractors to a poor African countries. A couple of years later the tractors were found broken and rusting. They have to be taught to help themselves.

[@theprince1795]

"Have to be taught"

[@firstnamelastname9631]

The English way, with a stick in one hand and the complete works of Cervantes in the other.@@theprince1795

[@kieraisverybored]

personally i think the better solution is to fix the underlying problems, fix the corruption and institute a peoples assembly so that the proper funding is consistently directed to where it’s need, for example for the upkeep on these tractors so that they can be run for a much longer time and not get money siphoned off by some oligarch

[@SassyTheSasquatch96]

Oh I see John thinks it's the white man's burden. Love it when they go full mask off

[@willdon.1279]

@@SassyTheSasquatch96Yes - perish the thought we "colonials" should interfere with their local masters stealing most of the money we give them... decades after they enriched themselves - "It's them nasty colonists wot done it"

[@galloping3265]

I have a great admiration for Dr Gates.

[@houseyUK]

The difference with detailed knowledge and high level knowledge.

[@firstnamelastname9631]

Exactly my point in Stewart vs Gates.

[@johnoldfield2390]

The rural areas not so cool, especially for the over populated areas.