[chezlaw]

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"It just blows my mind how little money has been spent on malaria research. What has prevented the rich world from attempting this? I jsut keep asking myself, Do we really not care becasue it doesnt' affect us? Is that what it is?"


[/ QUOTE ]This is a lie. There is zero chance that Bill Gates doesn't understand that there is no money involved in malaria research. Who does he think is to do this malaria research, anyone qualified to do such has huge students debts to pay off. It's not that people don't care, it's that most people care much more about other things. And those that do care about africa haven't the skills to research malaria, the money to do so, or aren't close enough to get much positive reinforcement to continue to do so.

The richest man in the world making such statements is insulting, not to me, and not to the intended rich, but to his own character, and intelligence.

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I see it very differently. Many scientists care and would love to work on problems like this. Its not that they neccasarily care more about other things but the system puts them in a position where they have little choice but to work in areas that offer short term rewards.

10 years ago I could have been superior about how much better it was in the uk where universities/students worked on problems that they felt most important. Sadly since then we've gone down the student loan/big business route.

Bill Gates may be guilty of a bit of exaggeration but I think his dead right.

chez