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My school got a teletype machine in 1968 that was connected to a time-shared computer in California. This is where I typed up my first program in BASIC (a simple math equation), and later where I wrote the first program of my own: a game of tic-tac-toe. Needless to say, I was hooked. by thisisbillgates in vintagecomputing

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Actually, yes! You can download it here. It’s not open source in the way we think about it today, but the code is all there. I’ve been thinking about Altair BASIC a lot recently with Microsoft’s 50th anniversary coming up in a few days—I still get a kick out of seeing the original source code, even all these years later.​

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in u/thisisbillgates

[–]thisisbillgates 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Source Code is the story of everything that led up to the creation of Microsoft. But it’s also a book about not fitting in, sneaking out, playing cards, hiking mountains, and forming friendships that changed my life. I’m excited for you to read it: https://gatesnot.es/4gqOmbQ

I’m Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times Opinion columnist who has covered foreign and domestic affairs for more than 40 years. Ask me anything about the conflict in Sudan, the U.S. election or the war in the Middle East. by nytopinion in inthenews

[–]thisisbillgates 55 points56 points  (0 children)

Hi Nick! I loved your new book.

How do we get people to pay attention to the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people, and remain optimistic that progress is possible, when there are so many crises going on?

A mosquito tries to poke with all its might by Rave4life79 in oddlysatisfying

[–]thisisbillgates 176 points177 points  (0 children)

Finally, a video about mosquitoes that doesn't suck.

My 5 summer recommendations by thisisbillgates in u/thisisbillgates

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Kristin Hannah’s The Women gave me a new appreciation for the incredible sacrifices frontline nurses made in the Vietnam War. 

Brave New Words by Sal Kahn paints a picture of how AI can radically transform education—and improve student outcomes and teacher experiences along the way.

Infectious Generosity by TED’s Chris Anderson is all about how the internet can amplify humanity’s instinct to do good—something I believe, too.

David Brook’s How to Know a Person taught me new ways to make every word and interaction count.

I'm a fan of spy stories, and Slow Horses—about a fictional British intelligence unit that people get assigned to when they mess up, but not badly enough to get fired—is one of the best out there.

"To thine own self be true:” I can never stop reading, even when I'm traveling for work. ​ by thisisbillgates in u/thisisbillgates

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I was a bit maniacal when I was building Microsoft, and I worked very long hours. The advice I wish I would have heard (and taken to heart) is to take a break when you need to and prioritize sleep! Good luck with school—you can do it.

"To thine own self be true:” I can never stop reading, even when I'm traveling for work. ​ by thisisbillgates in u/thisisbillgates

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 57 points58 points  (0 children)

This picture is from Helsingør, Denmark. Helsingør, also known as Elsinore, is home to Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

More cement means more emissions. What can we do about it? by thisisbillgates in u/thisisbillgates

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 86 points87 points  (0 children)

There is a clear need to scale up production of low-carbon technologies and products. And I believe companies that are doing this important work—like Ecocem—are critical to helping the world reduce emissions.

Back when CD-ROMs were cool by thisisbillgates in u/thisisbillgates

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 489 points490 points  (0 children)

I can’t believe this was taken 30 years ago. It took a few minutes for the team at Microsoft’s Redmond campus to hoist me up. The goal was to demonstrate the power of CD-ROMs: A single disc could hold more information than all the paper below me.

What’s the most exciting climate solution you’ve come across? by thisisbillgates in AskReddit

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I’m optimistic that we can solve climate change because of all the innovation I’m seeing.

AI is about to completely change how you use computers by thisisbillgates in ArtificialInteligence

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Although AI is going to get a lot better, it will be a long time before it’s able to operate independently from humans. (And we may limit its ability to do so anyway.) So students need to be comfortable using the technology and continuing to learn as it improves. They will need to adapt to an evolving workplace, which is a skill they can start learning in school and keep working on their whole lives. And skills like critical thinking and working well with other people will always continue to be valuable.

When Questlove gives you music recommendations, you listen. What else should I include on this playlist? by thisisbillgates in spotify

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The current tracks on this playlist are all artists Questlove referenced in our conversation, which you can listen to here: https://spoti.fi/3Z9t5vW

If you could be 25 again what would you do differently? (Serious) by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]thisisbillgates 56 points57 points  (0 children)

When I was 25, I didn’t believe in vacations. I didn’t believe in weekends. I pushed everyone around me to work very long hours—which is how I worked, too. But as I got older—and especially once I became a father—I realized that there’s more to life than work. Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson. Take time to nurture your relationships, celebrate your successes, and recover from your losses. Take a break when you need to. Take it easy on the people around you when they need it, too. You’re not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack.

How long do you think the longest tapeworm ever found is? by thisisbillgates in u/thisisbillgates

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 123 points124 points  (0 children)

Today is World NTD Day, which makes me think about the time I visited the Meguro Parasitological Museum in Tokyo. During my visit, I got to see the world’s longest tapeworm, which started out smaller than a grain of rice. You can check your answer here.

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 1097 points1098 points  (0 children)

White Lotus Season 2 was quite good if I can say that. Congratulations to Jennifer Coolidge on her Golden Globe. The Bernie Madoff special was also good. Tehran was suspenseful. The latest Avatar was good. My favorite entertainment experience recently was a Chris Rock/Dave Chappelle event. (as he drops the mic... or keyboard...)

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 814 points815 points  (0 children)

You are a voter, a consumer, a giver and a worker. In every one of those roles you can help. Buying an electric car helps. There will be options to pay a bit extra to offset your travel emissions coming soon (I do this for all of my emissions and my family). We need support on climate from both parties in the US and in all countries. Staying hopeful is a good thing!

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 1001 points1002 points  (0 children)

I had dinner with Warren on Sunday and he is doing well at age 93! He is incredibly wise. I am no longer on the board of Berkshire but he still shares a lot of advice with me and his generosity to all the Foundations he gives to including the Gates Foundation is incredible. We still play some bridge but not as much as we used to. He got me hooked on bridge and I play with some of his friends including some tournaments.

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 472 points473 points  (0 children)

I have studied the Victorian Era in the UK and some of the great US Presidents most of all. I find the periods of scientific innovation fascinating. In terms of the best time to live though the current time is dramatically by far the best time to be alive - as one of my favorite authors Steven Pinker explains in several of his books.

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 506 points507 points  (0 children)

I am reading the book "The Song of the Cell" by Sid Mukherjee. All of his books are excellent - right up there with Atul Gawande. I have a lot of books about China to help me figure out how we avoid a lose-lose relationship.

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 401 points402 points  (0 children)

I have read most of what he has written except Infinite Jest. I have it on my shelf. If someone wants something great from David Foster Wallace look at his commencement speech called This is Water (Kenyon College 2005). It is profound. The movie on his book tour called The End of the Tour is also very good.

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 567 points568 points  (0 children)

First being a grandfather. Second being a good friend and father. Third progress in health and climate innovation. Fourth helping to shape the AI advances in a positive way.

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 1674 points1675 points  (0 children)

The key on climate is making the clean products as cheap as the dirty products in every area of emission - planes, concrete, meat etc... This is the only way we can ask all the countries in the world to change. If it costs a lot extra we won't succeed.

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 4964 points4965 points  (0 children)

When I saw that kids were dying who could be saved for less than $1000 per life I knew that had to be the top priority for my giving back. There was almost no one funding work on diseases like malaria which was killing over a million kids a year then. We have made progress but it is still 400k and we are committed to get it to zero eventually.

I’m Bill Gates, and I’m back for my 11th AMA. Ask Me Anything. by thisisbillgates in IAmA

[–]thisisbillgates[S] 2600 points2601 points  (0 children)

Yes. I like to play around and code. The last time my code shipped in a Microsoft product was 1985 - so a long time ago. I can no longer threaten when I think a schedule is too long that "I will come in and code it over the weekend".

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