ビルゲイツがロックだ

ビルゲイツも2014年のBest booksにピケティを選んでいましたね。

“Business Adventures” by John Brooks
“Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty
“How Asia Works” by Joe Studwell
“The Rosie Effect” by Graeme Simsion
“Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization” by Vaclav Smil.

ピケティは今月末来日するようですから、さらに注目を浴びそうです。下記のシンポジウムはまだ参加申し込みを受け付けています。土曜日の東大講義にはYutaは落選しました（涙）

1月29日（木）　18:30-21:00
シンポジウム「広がる不平等と日本のあした」
会場　　有楽町朝日ホール　（千代田区有楽町2-5-1　有楽町マリオン11階）
講師　　トマ・ピケティ
パネリスト　　鬼頭宏（上智大学経済学部特別契約教授）、玉木林太郎（OECD事務次長）ほか
司会　　大野博人（朝日新聞論説主幹）
入場無料、日仏同時通訳つき
お申し込みは、1月15日まで、こちらで受け付けます。応募多数の場合は抽選となります。
主催　　朝日新聞社、在日フランス大使館、アンスティチュ・フランセ日本
協力　　みすず書房

ゲイツ財団を率いる、ビルゲイツは攻めていますね。最近話題になったのはこちら。



FROM POOP TO POTABLE
This Ingenious Machine Turns Feces Into Drinking Water
BY BILL GATES
ON JANUARY 5, 2015

If we get it right, it will be a good example of how philanthropy can provide seed money that draws bright people to work on big problems, eventually creating a self-supporting industry. Our foundation is funding Janicki to do the development. It’s really amazing to see how they’ve embraced the work; founder Peter Janicki and his family have traveled to Africa and India multiple times so they can see the scope of the problem. Our goal is to make the processors cheap enough that entrepreneurs in low- and middle-income countries will want to invest in them and then start profitable waste-treatment businesses.

We still have a lot to learn before we get to that point. The next step is the pilot project; later this year, Janicki will set up an Omniprocessor in Dakar, Senegal, where they’ll study everything from how you connect with the local community (the team is already working with leaders there) to how you pick the most convenient location. They will also test one of the coolest things I saw on my tour: a system of sensors and webcams that will let Janicki’s engineers control the processor remotely and communicate with the team in Dakar so they can diagnose any problems that come up.

The history of philanthropy is littered with well-intentioned inventions that never deliver on their promise. Hopefully, these early steps will help us make sure the Omniprocessor doesn’t join the list. If things go well in Senegal, we’ll start looking for partners in the developing world. For example I think it could be a great fit in India, where there are lots of entrepreneurs who could own and operate the processors, as well as companies with the skill to manufacture many of the parts.

It might be many years before the processor is being used widely. But I was really impressed with Janicki’s engineering. And I’m excited about the business model. The processor wouldn’t just keep human waste out of the drinking water; it would turn waste into a commodity with real value in the marketplace. It’s the ultimate example of that old expression: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

ゲイツのブログの最後の言葉one man’s trash is another man’s treasureはtrashとtreasureでリズミカルになっていますね。

(Free Dictionary）
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
Prov. Something that one person considers worthless may be considered valuable by someone else.
Q: Why would anyone want to hang a picture like that on the wall?
A: One man's trash is another man's treasure.

A: Bob's uncle is always going through people's garbage, looking for old stuff.
B: One man's trash is another man's treasure.

新技術への投資だけは人を動かすには不十分と感じたのか、芸術家を巻き込んで世界の現状を伝えるプロジェクトにも関与しているようです。女優のミアファローや社会派の写真家サルガドなども参加しています。

Why Bill Gates Is Commissioning Fine Art
JANUARY 08, 201512:19 PM ET

Each year, about 6 million people die from diseases that are preventable with vaccines. And about 1 in 5 children around the world don't have access to life-saving vaccines.

But those are cold and dry statistics.

The Art of Saving A Life enlisted more than 30 artists to create images that bring those numbers to life — to spark conversations, interest and, ultimately, funding for vaccines.

その一つ。天然痘を題材にした動画公開されています。