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In a move likely engineered to unsettle gathered attendees at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED2009) Conference in Palm Springs, Microsoft figurehead Bill Gates pulled a potentially risky stunt to illustrate the deadly effects of malaria.
Anyone fancy malaria? Image: TED James Duncan Davidson.
More pointed, during a presentation surrounding malaria prevention and its devastation across developing nations, Gates took the watching audience by surprise when he suddenly opened a glass jar full of mosquitoes and unleashed the captive horde of insects.
“I brought some,” said Gates after explaining how malaria spreads through mosquito bites. “Here, I’ll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected… not only poor people should experience this.”
While risking a possible stampede for the exits following the slack-jawed spectacle of a technology titan losing his marbles live on stage, FOXNews reports that Gates waited for more than a minute before decreasing collective heart rates by assuring attendees the freed mosquitoes were not carrying the disease.
The TED2009 presentation on malaria prevention was given by Gates through the non-profit Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which the educational prankster now runs alongside his wife after stepping down as Microsoft chairman in 2008.
In an effort to better counter the deadly effects of malaria, Gates revealed that the foundation would be donating some $169 million USD to the PATH Malaria Vaccine initiative in order to contribute towards the development of a full vaccine.
With regard to his position on the forefront of charitable work, Gates said he's, “as engaged in the new job as I ever was in software; these are amazing issues… it’s magic in the same way software was.”
“I am an optimist,” he added. “Every problem can be solved, and there are some important ones out there.”
Calming any remaining fears in connection to the release of mosquitoes into the conference, an official spokesman for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation later confirmed that none of the insects had been carrying malaria.
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