Bill Gates
What do computers and toilets have in common? Nothing, right? Well, actually - this week the stupendously wealthy Bill and Melinda Gates announced their latest investment project; they’re putting $US42 million towards “reinventing” the loo (surely there are several puns in that?). According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, around 2.8 billion of the world’s population don’t have access to a flushing toilet, leaving them vulnerable to disease, filthy water and serious risk of infant mortality.
Gates says the challenge is keeping costs down so they are easy to build, and cheap to run and maintain. It’s a fantastically simple idea and that’s probably why some of Gates’ critics have ridiculed the size of the investment. But given his past successes it’s hard to imagine Gates messing up this one. What do you guys make of it?
And hooray for Friday! What’s everyone got planned for this weekend? Share it all here.
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