It is hard to overstate how valuable it is to have all the incredible tools that are used for human disease to study plants.

It's pretty incredible to look back 30 years to when Microsoft was starting and realize how work has been transformed. We're finally getting close to what I call the digital workstyle.

It is a high bar to say that it's more fun than working on software because the work at Microsoft that both Melinda [Gates] and I did was thrilling. We were making breakthroughs and empowering people.

The power of capitalism to mediate the gap between rich and poor is pretty incredible. Indeed, I think, year by year, the gap gets less.

That way you can be certain to learn something you didn't know previously.

Innovation is a good thing. The human condition - put aside bioterrorism and a few footnotes - is improving because of innovation.

There are more people dying of malaria than any specific cancer.