“Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist, wants to talk poop,” Claudine Zap reports for Yahoo News. “Literally. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is hosting a ‘Reinvent the Toilet Fair’ on August 14 and 15, is on a mission to build a better crapper. Why? Poop is a worldwide problem.”
“Foundation co-chair Bill Gates, who announced cash prizes at the fair today for the best designs, said in a statement, ‘Innovative solutions change people’s lives for the better. If we apply creative thinking to everyday challenges, such as dealing with human waste, we can fix some of the world’s toughest problems,'” Zap reports. “The foundation has committed $370 million to the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WSH) initiative, which includes devising a 21st-century toilet.”
Zap reports, “Some of the ingenious ideas at the toilet fair include a Swiss system for diverting some urine and recovering water for flushing, and a design from Stanford researchers that turns human waste into charcoal. And a team from the Delft University of Technology in the the Netherlands invented a toilet that turns human waste into fuel through microwave technology.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: ♫♬ And he’s buying a shitter to heaven. ♫♬
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Pony” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Paul Allen: Working with Bill Gates like being in hell – April 18, 2011
Microsoft co-founder Allen: Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer schemed to rip me off after I got cancer – March 30, 2011
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invests in Monsanto – August 26, 2010
Bill Gates’ other company fined millions for intellectual property theft – July 22, 2010
Bill Gates wants to build nuclear reactors – March 23, 2010
TIME Magazine: Microsoft’s Windows Vista ‘an embarassment to the good name of American innovation’ – February 02, 2007
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: Five years for a chrome-plated turd – January 30, 2007
Report: Gates Foundation causing harm with same money it supposedly uses to do good – January 10, 2007
Someplace to put all those Zunes?
No, those Zunes are doing their part for the environment by establishing a new coral reef.
Using Windows is a good place to start.
/sarcasm
Seriously, this is the most important public health issue in the world today. Everyone talks about the importance of clean water, but until the human waste problem is solved, supplying clean water is impossible.
From another article I read about this, the requirements are pretty steep. No electricity. No addition of water. No connection to a sewage system.
This is a worthwhile project.
It may be the best thing he has done with his life.
Even if he is trying to buy his way into heaven.
Seriously, we inhabitants of North America shat in the woods for the first 6000 years with all the other animals.
There is no problem with the shit. It’s the number of people that’s causing the problem.
Why don’t you lead by example?
Kill yourself and prove how less human lives is the answer 😉
That would be “fewer” human lives. (Cf. usage: fewer/less)
I believe that althegeo might be suggesting that the Earth is overpopulated and that we should stop increasing the human population and gradually get back to a more sustainable level.
Of course, your unprovoked, over-the-top response would work, too. Please lead by example.
Whoops, missed the emoticon. Sorry, must be a reaction to too much inane election BS.
There is not a water shortage. There is, instead, an over abundance of humans on this planet. That causes a lot more problems than shit.
well once we run out of oil, the world population will go back to the 2 billion it was before oil artificially improved our ability to support the 7 billion we have on Earth now… Problem solved
No electricity + no addition of water + no connection to a sewage system = impossible. I’m declaring shenanigans on this thing.
Is the “toilet fair” a cynical PR stunt or just very badly thought out?
Didn’t they already do that? It was called Vista. Or was it that Vista just a floating turd?
It’s powered by winpoop8! This product is the perfect combination.
I can see the toilet be easily blocked and let your washroom flood.
To flush Windows 8 I hope?!!!
He’d better hurry. I can’t hold it much longer!
Shame on you, MDN. I adore Apple, my hubby and I own all Apple products (iPhones, iPads, MacBook Airs, Apple TV) and I would NEVER want to go back to a PC – but to go after Bill Gates and mock him for a humanitarian effort that will save millions of lives. That he is spending his OWN fortune on. Shame on you.
BS, after spending the first half of his life stealing the ideas of others and strong-arming every person in his way, he is trying to salvage an ounce of dignity for his legacy. IMO
ChiMac, at least Bill Gates is trying to salvage an ounce of dignity for his legacy (or not). He has the financial resources and he’s trying to use them to help others. Everyone deserves a chance plus improving sanitation for the world will save lives whether you hate him or not. I don’t see your opinion helping anyone except to vent.
Get lost:
u get lost
While it would be great if the Gates foundation would not invest of companies that are part of the problem, I have yet to see a serious analysis that actually shows a net negative contribution by the Gates Foundation.
A couple of questions:
1. how many other organizations with endowments invest in those same bad organizations? I suspect that most of them, including universities and some charitable funds. I know some try not to invest in “bad” corporations.
2. how many large corporations do not have something that can be pointed to as “evil”. Sure, Apple is better than DuPont, but the press could certainly point to a number of hysterical reports about Apple to paint them as bad guys.
I prefer to think of this as making sure the profits made by evil are put to good.
Go to a third world country and count toilets. Tell us how many you find per household. Perhaps he should start by figuring out how to clean the filthy sewage filled rivers running through the towns and villages in the first place. BTW where should they plug in the microwave poop to fuel maker? Next to the coffee machine? How about he sends a few billion dollars worth of medication, doctors and civil engineers to make a difference now. Oh right, too difficult to hold a contest for those things and it isn’t as catchy in the headlines.
Mr. & Ms. Guidry, your self-righteous solicitous laudation of the Gates Foundation’s “efforts” is frightening. Why? You may want to do some in-depth research into the Gates’ support of eugenics. How can they regain dignity they do not have.
I agree with the need to improve sanitation in the world – it is the second greatest cause of death in underdeveloped world. #1 is poor water and/or no water. 14,000 + people a day die from poor water conditions – 8,000 + are children. Why isn’t Gates doing anything about that?
I have had very personal experiences with Gates and he is pure evil. Period. Too strong of words for your sensitivities? Tough – sometimes the truth is difficult to accept.
Good luck in fairyland.
MizulnOz, I’m neither trying to be self-righteous nor laud the Gates Foundation. For whatever reason he is working on at least one problem. Thanks for your personal insight on Bill Gates and his foundation. I will do more research. Not a lot of people are putting significant money into these world issues. My primary comment stands, this isn’t a funny issue. Getting “hated” told to STFU by others on the forum because I have an opinion. wow. The intelligence quotient of this forum is dropping rapidly. Sorry to spoil everyone’s potty humor.
Actually, the intelligence quotient of this forum has been pretty low for a while now.
Thanks to Rush-ian politics.
There’s no denying that, and it’s all led by the moronic “takes” from MDN. That the editors have dumbed down the discourse is a clear signal of where their hits come from.
That’s too bad, MDN could be a class blog where serious people go for serious discussions, but they took the easy path, for quick easy money, pandering to the lowest common denominator.
Any appearance of prior intelligence on this list was merely an illusion. The 2% need a place to worship, unfettered by petty realities.
Repeat after me:
The Mac shall inherit the earth!
iOS for everyone!
Thou shalt have no other gods before Steve!
1… This is and has been always a forum of the sarcastic misfits who scoffed at all who said the Mac was dead. We waited here until the day would come that Apple would rule again.
Now that it has, you expect us to be civil??? I think not!
Chris with all do respect, I understand your basic premise, however I encourage you to look at the technology that is available “now” and can be used immediately to improve the lives of others. Composting toilets which require no electricity and no plumbing are available to ship out as soon as he writes a check. Changing urine into drinking water has been used by NASA throughout the shuttle program.
I can’t help but feel contempt for Mr. Gates based upon his past conduct in business and I seriously question his intelligence if he thinks high tech toilets will even put a dent into the sanitation issues of the world.
ChiMac, I can get behind that. I’m not sure how high-tech toilets would work in the wild either but composting toilets available now sounds great. I hope Mr. Gates does write a nice size check. I also agree his past is contemptible. Time will tell on this one.
Chris, I have developed a air to water system that does not require electricity to work. It is able to collect anywhere between 30 to 100 liters per day (not enough by western standards, but it is in the ignored countries of the world). I presented this to Mr. Gates in Montreux and one of his “team” from his SF patent theft operation wanted to come to my labs and have complete carte blanche without signing any legal agreements (non-circ/non-compete/non-theft). I obviously said no. Then a guy shows up and says he happened to be in the neighbourhood (yeah, right – from SF and I am in Australia) and he wondered “since he was there” if he could have a look. I told him that he had 15 seconds to leave my premises or I would have him arrested for trespass and criminal assault. He couldn’t run fast enough. Never heard from them again. After talking with others about Gates & Gang’s shenanigans, I learned about his eugenics passion and other things.
So, if it sound as if I have a personal reason to detest the man, you are right.
And by the way, the only way he writes a “nice size (sic) check” is if he gets 90 – 95% of the deal and there is a clause where he can squeeze you out at any time. such a lovely guy to deal with.
I’m completely with you guys on this. A real shame that the MDN comments have been hijacked by people who seem to take pleasure from being abusive. I wish that MDN would moderate this forum (if we can call it that).
yeah, but he crapped on a lot of people to make said fortune. He didn’t care about them then.
You don’t need a press conference to be a humanitarian.
“You don’t need a press conference to be a humanitarian.”
Bingo!
STFU.
Before you shed tears for Bill Gates, consider an earlier toilet pioneer, Thomas Crapper. He sullied his name through his efforts to improve sanitation. Can you imagine if we someday refer to dog feces as “gates?”
In fact, the term “crap”, for human bodily waste, predates Thomas Crapper by many years. His name was just an unfortunate coincidence. Furthermore, he didn’t invent the flush toilet — that’s generally attributed to John Harrington, although others developed the idea further.
As for Bill Gates, I find myself on both sides of the argument. I have nothing but contempt for his bullying tactics and filching of ideas (and Apple wasn’t his only victim), but support his efforts to address the need for a more suitable toilet for the third world.
NICE!
I’ve had two cups of coffee this morning, and I’m about to take a gates, at least two courics in size I’m guessing.
As for the inevitable complainers, lighten up. If you want to talk about something serious, go ahead, if you want to point out that mr gates hass been making toilets for decades, do so. I have been enjoying both sides of the discussion.
+1000
“♫♬ And he’s buying a shitter to heaven. ♫♬”
OMG, I’m going to piss my pants! Bravo, MDN!
Lighten up, Jeanine.
hilarious.
Poop into Food!
http://inhabitat.com/poop-burger-japanese-researcher-creates-artificial-meat-from-human-feces/
I have to agree with Jeannine here. You’ve moved from poking fun and ribbing Microsoft and failed products like Zune to a severe lack of taste. What Bill Gates does with this build a better toilet competition will help improve sanitation, water quality, and maybe even energy provision for millions of people who don’t have American Standard toilets. How many lives will your tasteless Zune toilet comments save or improve?
Big surprise.
You lighten up, too, Chris.
God, the Guidry household must be a ton of laughs.
Some things are just not funny. Pick a subject that is funny and I’ll lighten up.
Today 2.5 billion people, including almost one billion children, live without even basic sanitation. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation. That’s 1.5 million preventable deaths each year.
Source: Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)
In Sub-Saharan Africa, treating diarrhoea consumes 12 percent of the health budget. On a typical day, more than half the hospital beds in are occupied by patients suffering from faecal-related disease.
Source: WSSCC
Chris, stfu.
Big words, coming from a Yankees fan.
Where did you learn them, subway graffiti?
must be a disgruntled Rangers fan.
You, sir, are a supercilious twit.
I actually have to somewhat agree. The toilet hasn’t changed in what 200+ years? Why not make something more modern with a radical redesign… Though Microsoft couldn’t do it. At least not now. I would also like to see them convert to a toilet manufacturer. 🙂 Muahahaha??
He already built the perfect toilet. It’s in Redmond Washington.
The big toilet of suck that Ballmer’s throwing all that money into?
seems fitting that Gates tries to make a new toilet considering all the shit MS produced.
There we have it then, the Guidry-Gates Toilet. What humorless morons you seem to be. (And yes, I realize how important this could be, but don’t fee compelled to preach about it in a obviously unsuitable forum.)
The toilet was famously redesigned by the Moties in Jerry Pournelle’s masterpiece, “The Mote in God’s Eye”, a novel loaded with more good ideas than Carter has pills.
Hey, if it helps save lives, I’ll proudly call it the Guidry-Gates Toilet. Tell me again what this potty humor(less) has to do with Mac Daily and News? Talk about something funny and I’ll laugh. I thought Mitchp2012’s comment was quite humorous. You are the one getting flabbergasted about us lightening up. Take some of your own medicine. I’ve not attacked others here. I’ve called some comments tasteless and stand by my assessment.
While I don’t think you and your wife should have been attacked, I do think you and Bill are barking up the wrong tree.
The problem isn’t the copious piles of shit. The problem is a lack of any kind of birth control or the will to use it.
I hear you. But this is the place where morons, unaccountably possessed of a temporary IQ, seem to come out of the woodwork to bristle at the slightest suggestion that their hobby horse, pet theory, or political perversion is less acceptable than an abject sacrifice to the gods, whoever they are.
Hahaha!!!
I guess he needs somewhere to put all those Zunes that are taking up space in their warehouses!!!
Gates is more charitable than Jobs ever was.
Prove it or STFU.
No shit.
“You don’t need a press conference to be a humanitarian.”
Gates can rot in hell.
The real question is, will Joe Biden know how to use a 21st Century toilet considering he thinks we’re in the 20th Century?!
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/biden-folks-wheres-it-written-we-cant-lead-world-20th-century_650017.html
“Don’t laugh, the old thief’s an expert: For decades he’s been churning out shit and getting suckers to pay for the privilege of dealing with it.” – MacDailyNews Take, July 21, 2011
Any version of Windows is a 21st century virtual spaghetti code toilet 🙂
Bill Gates wants to create a 21st-century toilet, because he already created a toilet suitable for the 17th Century, which he named, “Windows”.
Well, it makes perfect sense… He’s the world foremost expert on making shit. Now he wants to make amends and clean it up!
He’s talking out of his arse and he’s full of sh!t! 😉
How low can you go?
you forgot to say: “BASE! How low can you go?” from PUBLIC ENEMY song “Bring Da Noize”
While I’ve had my criticisms for Gates in the past, I’ll applaud him for recognizing the importance of this around the world and for putting his name out there despite setting himself up for easy snickering.
After decades of producing shit it’s about time he does something to get rid of it. This could be the single honorable attempt of his undertakings.
My design would involve a catapult-like device, likely pointed in the direction of Redmond…
Hope he’ll keep ActiveX out of the build or there’s gonna be hideous leakages.
Didin’t he already create a toilet… winblows….