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Posted 03/08/2010

Three Generations in Antarctica

On a recent family trip, Bill witnessed great natural beauty and further evidence of global warming – even in one of the coldest places on Earth.

The New Science of Feeding the World

Agricultural biotechnology is controversial but essential, Bill believes, to ease the plight of the 1 billion impoverished people who live with chronic hunger. He reviews a provocative book on the realities of farming today – and its future.

Posted 03/08/2010

Podcast Series: Energy and Climate Change

Finding carbon-free energy sources that will provide affordable power for people around the globe is a complex and difficult issue. Bill shares his thoughts on the challenges of developing alternatives to fossil fuels.

Posted 01/20/2010

Talking About Energy at TED

At the annual TED Conference, some inspired thinkers are asked to give “the talk of their lives” – in 18 minutes. The good ones can change how we think about science, art, technology, and more. This week, Bill is giving a talk about energy and climate change.

Posted 02/18/2010

PC Pioneer Chuck Thacker Wins Turing Award

For his lifetime contributions to computer science, the Association for Computing Machinery has honored Chuck Thacker with its prestigious Turing Award. Over four decades, Thacker’s work at Xerox PARC and Microsoft have helped pave the way for the modern personal computer.

Posted 03/09/2010

A Clear Look at the Great Panic

Knowing what caused the current economic crisis is critical if we are going to prevent the next one. A new book provides interesting background about the way the Federal Reserve managed the crisis, but important questions remain about the steps that are needed to measure and mitigate future risk.

Posted 02/22/2010

The Mood at Davos

Bill has been attending the World Economic Forum at Davos since the 1990s. This year, the focus was on climate change and on issues raised by the aftermath of the economic crisis, including questions about who should profit from investment and financial risk.

Posted 02/10/2010

Talking About Energy Miracles at TED

At this year’s TED Conference, Bill spoke publicly for the first time about his belief that addressing climate change will require massive investments in innovation aimed at creating the “energy miracles” needed to develop zero-carbon energy sources.

Posted 03/08/2010

Education Reform and KIPP

Founded in 1994 by Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) is one of the most promising examples of innovative thinking in American education.

Posted 01/21/2010

We Need Productivity and Sustainability

Helping poor farmers improve productivity is a critical step in reducing global hunger. But there is an ideological divide over how best to help them. The truth is that both sides have something important to offer.

Posted 01/20/2010

More Recommended Teaching Company Lectures

With more than 250 lectures from some of the world’s leading professors, The Teaching Company provides the opportunity to learn from great teachers who are true experts in their fields. Bill offers recommendations for some of the courses that he has enjoyed the most.

Posted 02/05/2010

A Better Response to the Next Pandemic

The H1N1 flu wasn’t nearly as bad as predicted, but not because of the effectiveness of the steps taken to contain it. The inadequate global response shows that we are still unprepared for a major pandemic. New methods for manufacturing vaccines quickly and other investments are clearly required.

Posted 01/18/2010

Why Vaccines Matter

Providing greater access to existing vaccines and making new vaccines available quickly could save 8 million lives by 2020. With a 10-year, $10 billion commitment, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is supporting immunization programs designed to reach children in the world’s poorest countries.

Posted 02/09/2010

Welcome to the Gates Notes

Since leaving my fulltime job at Microsoft to dedicate more time to our foundation, a lot of people have asked me what I'm working on. It often feels like I'm back in school, as I spend a lot of my time learning about issues I'm passionate about.

I'm fortunate because the people I'm working with and learning from are true experts in their fields. I take a lot of notes, and often share them and my own thoughts on the subject with others through email, so I can learn from them and expand the conversation.

I thought it would be interesting to share these conversations more widely with a website, in the hope of getting more people thinking and learning about the issues I think are interesting and important. So, welcome to the Gates Notes.

Bill Gates

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