Bill Gates. (Photo de John Keatley)
Bill Gates first walked into Clubhouse on Wednesday night, making his ongoing book tour to the popular invite-only chat app to discuss everything from climate change to what he’s talking about on Netflix.
The Microsoft co-founder, promoting his new book ‘How to Avoid a Climate Disaster’, chatted with journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin for about an hour, answering questions about the COVID-19 pandemic, his thoughts on the Bitcoin’s connection to climate change, why he uses an Android smartphone and what he watches on TV while stuck at home like the rest of us.
The audio for the interview is here on YouTube and we’ve pulled out some highlights below:
iPhone vs. Android
Given that the Clubhouse app is only on iOS at the moment, many were curious as to whether the Microsoft co-founder had stepped up to the dreaded competition and got himself an iPhone. But Gates said it wasn’t, his cell phone was definitely not made by Apple.
“Some Android makers pre-install Microsoft software in a way that makes it easier for me,” Gates said. “They’re more flexible about how the software connects to the operating system. So that’s what I got used to… a lot of my friends have iPhones, so there’s no purity.
Clubhouse co-founder Paul Davison was in the room briefly and told Gates and Sorkin that an Android version of the app was a top priority.
Bitcoin
Sorkin asked Gates for his take on the “climate argument” around bitcoin – the idea that mining cryptocurrency requires a lot of computing power and electricity consumption. Gates has made it known he is not a fan.
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“Bitcoin uses more electricity per transaction than any other method known to mankind. So that’s not a good thing for the climate, ”said Gates. “If it’s green electricity and it doesn’t crowd out other uses, maybe that’s okay. I don’t see the topics as deeply related, although you might call me a Bitcoin skeptic – that is, I didn’t choose to invest any money. I buy vaccines against malaria. I buy measles vaccines. I invest in companies that make products. It’s not a “Hey, somebody’s going to buy this for more money than I paid for.” But if other people find their fortunes this way, I applaud them.
Gates added that there are “other ways of making digital currency” that are not covert transactions, and that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is invested in making these services available to raise the poorest. in India and Africa.
The pandemic
Gates received his second vaccine a week ago, about a month after tweeting about his first – “This is the only time I’ve ever been grateful to be such an old person, 65”, did he declare.
Sorkin asked when Gates might feel comfortable moving around, planning a trip, etc.
“I want to set a good example. If you are vaccinated you can still pass it on, ”Gates said. “I’m not going to stop wearing masks or being careful, especially with older people who haven’t been vaccinated. It is not until late spring or summer that we will come to figures where you can consider changing your behavior in a meaningful way. “
Gates reiterated his view that distributing the vaccine to all countries, not just wealthy ones, is essential for world travel. He expects things to feel a lot different in the United States by the summer, and all schools should be open in the fall – with kids wearing masks.
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“Wearing masks is not a very bad thing. It’s not expensive, we’re used to it, ”he said. “I would continue to model this behavior throughout the fall until we are absolutely sure the numbers are very, very low.”
As to whether the company has learned anything throughout the pandemic about trusting science and expertise, Gates said that quality leadership is essential during a crisis and a leader must be prepared to share. bad news, putting in place an appropriate testing system, etc.
“The number of errors was pretty incredible,” Gates said. “We’re lucky this thing wasn’t more fatal than it ended up being.” But still, half a million Americans is an incredible record. I think for at least a generation people will have this threat model in mind and the government will take the right steps, even though maybe 10 or 20% of the population will never believe it – apparently it is. is also true for elections – but these are serious matters. Most people know someone who is dead.
Television worthy of frenzy
Like the rest of us, Gates has spent part of the pandemic poking fun at his fair share of Netflix and more. He called it mind blowing the quality of the content compared to 10 years ago, and the fact that there is so much content to choose from these days that you worry about what you might be missing out on.
“The intricate storylines, the choices, even just in the documentary realm, it’s pretty phenomenal,” Gates said, adding that he was planning to finish a book one night this week and got carried away instead. in “Lupine”, a French mystery thriller on Netflix. .
“The next thing I knew four hours went by. I really let myself go that night and laughed at myself a little bit, I don’t usually do that but they certainly make it easier. You just sit there and the next episode kicks off. “
Gates also uses The Great Courses to attend college, because he can’t stop learning – when he’s not binging “The Americans” or “Modern Family” with his own family.
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