The real problem is how do we train the sharks to use the fricken laser beams properly.

Hero tag needed. I frickin' HATE mosquitos. Extinction of that species would be a great thing, although the dragonflies might disagree.

Bill gates uses his money to help hummanity

Steve jobs cuts all apple charitable programs, buys a new car every 6 months and is dead

Came for the mention of sharks, leaving happy.

This is cool, but its not really appropriate technology. When you're looking at solutons to problems like this the first question needs to be whether the target user can afford it. Once that is done, the next thing the designer needs to ensure is that it is easily possible to maintain using local expertise, materials and tools. Most places that have malaria issues don't really have the knowledge, or money to maintain something this fancy. The million would go a lot farther investing in a vaccination or simple bed netting.

foxy_canuck: This is cool, but its not really appropriate technology. When you're looking at solutons to problems like this the first question needs to be whether the target user can afford it. Once that is done, the next thing the designer needs to ensure is that it is easily possible to maintain using local expertise, materials and tools. Most places that have malaria issues don't really have the knowledge, or money to maintain something this fancy. The million would go a lot farther investing in a vaccination or simple bed netting.

We can just ask the inhabitants of Gorilla City what they use for their invisible dome.

I think there was video of this already working a year ago or so.

Márka - whose day job involves investigating what happens when two black holes merge - had the bright idea several years back that light could be used to confuse mosquitoes by interfering with their sensory systems.

Well this made me feel lame about my life.

Mansquito, he don't care. Looking like a fool with your laser up there.....

If Gates and his minions can pull this off, I will worship him as a deity.

Beerguy: In the world of computing, Gates was never an innovator, he was an amazing business man.

The fark are you talking about? He got his start programming computers and writing operating systems. How is that not inventing?

Sounds different from the one I was expecting. This is more "they stay away" as opposed to this one Link. (new window) Which was more "BLAST THEM OUT OF THE SKY!"

This would be pretty cool if researchers hadn't recently discovered an exceptionally cheap and environmentally friendly way to kill the little buggers.

Mosquitoes live on flower nectar until the females get ready to lay eggs, when they start to look for blood to feed the eggs. They are very willing to drink sugar water instead of flower nectar. Add a bit of yeast and they like it even more.

If you stir a spoon full of plain old borax (find it on the laundry aisle) into the sugar water and place it outside, the mosquitoes that drink it die.

Quick, simple, environmentally friendly

SoCalSurfer: Bill gates uses his money to help hummanity

Steve jobs cuts all apple charitable programs, buys a new car every 6 months and is dead

2/10. Stave Jobs gave consumers readily available technology that was used to make the world more connected on a day to day basis.

/dont frickin' laser beams to kill mosquitos. we have fly swatters.

Um, yes, they said this in Super Freakonomics a year ago.

BullBearMS: Mosquitoes live on flower nectar until the females get ready to lay eggs, when they start to look for blood to feed the eggs. They are very willing to drink sugar water instead of flower nectar. Add a bit of yeast and they like it even more. If you stir a spoon full of plain old borax (find it on the laundry aisle) into the sugar water and place it outside, the mosquitoes that drink it die.

As well as anything else, like pollenating insects.

I'd rather go after the mosquitos when they're thirsting for blood. That makes the countermeasure more selective.

BullBearMS: This would be pretty cool if researchers hadn't recently discovered an exceptionally cheap and environmentally friendly way to kill the little buggers.

Mosquitoes live on flower nectar until the females get ready to lay eggs, when they start to look for blood to feed the eggs. They are very willing to drink sugar water instead of flower nectar. Add a bit of yeast and they like it even more.

If you stir a spoon full of plain old borax (find it on the laundry aisle) into the sugar water and place it outside, the mosquitoes that drink it die.

Quick, simple, environmentally friendly

How do I keep the hummingbirds out of it?

dragonchild: BullBearMS: Mosquitoes live on flower nectar until the females get ready to lay eggs, when they start to look for blood to feed the eggs. They are very willing to drink sugar water instead of flower nectar. Add a bit of yeast and they like it even more. If you stir a spoon full of plain old borax (find it on the laundry aisle) into the sugar water and place it outside, the mosquitoes that drink it die.

As well as anything else, like pollenating insects.

I'd rather go after the mosquitos when they're thirsting for blood. That makes the countermeasure more selective.

Simple. Use a bit of screen with holes large enough to admit mosquitoes, but too small to let in the bees and butterflies and such.

How is this not a better solution for the areas of Africa where exceptionally poor people are routinely dying of malaria? I imagine lasers are going to need electricity and be much more expensive than a three dollar box of borax.

Not sure if he approves:



/Hot like a mosquito murdering laser beam

would not mind watching one of those zap bugs out of the air

Some Maker did a better job:
Makezine.com (new window)

Shoot to kill and target female mosquitoes only. I wish I had time to make my own, those things can ruin a pool party fast.

GD it, Ma! It's SKEETERS!!!



Calm down, Bill, you can do that later after you invent computers.

"They could go through the light barrier without getting hurt, but they don't,"

But now that it's been splattered it all over the internet...

way to go genius!!!!

It already has a ready delivery system (new window)

Reminds me of Aqua Teen episode.

pute kisses like a man: PIP_the_TROLL: pute kisses like a man: problem solved:

[www.mexicowoods.com image 432x576]

/ not really, only works on flies

What is that?

a hanging bag of water

people in the south hang these up all over the place and they keep flies away. no body has ever really explained why, but if these bags are up around people, there will be fewer flies

I've heard the reason is because flies are very timid creatures, fearful of predators. The bags distort the light and images behind them in such a way to startle flies, so they fly away. that also explains why these bags are not very effective when no one is around.

I've seen people do that. That's basically the explanation they gave, and it's just as vexing. Some say you have to put a penny in the water, but don't have any idea why. They may also say it needs to be a pre-1982 solid copper penny. I've also seen... get this... flat dishes of vinegar with a penny in it on outdoor tables. This is supposed to repel flies. How, nobody even bothered trying to make up an explanation.

Mythbusters tested the hanging bags of water (new window). Shockingly, it did not work.

Bill Gates has developed some truly amazing technologies, and his foundation some great works.

This is not one of them.

/how much mosquito netting could that money have bought?
//and I doubt these lasers could double as water filters for guinea worm eggs