The Gates Notes is an exceptionally well-done site, allowing Bill to present his wide range of interests in a variety of forms. I was quickly reminded that the reason Bill has all that money is because he really is that smart.

The question-and-answer page, where readers ask Gates questions, include topics such as "Is there progress on an AIDS vaccine?" to "Should companies help the poor?" to "Where can I get unbiased news?"

Gates even defends why his foundation isn't involved in climate change issues, saying they are better solved by the marketplace.

"I'm a believer that whenever markets can work, that's where you will find the best answers because you'll get entrepreneurs from all over the world who can pursue thousands and thousands of ideas in parallel," Gates wrote.

"Depending on how you measure it, energy is probably the biggest market in the world. That means somebody can make a risky bet and try it, and you have clear metrics of success. So if you have a promising idea about sequestering carbon, or a cheap nuclear plant, or solar photovoltaic, you can get the capital to build plants, to hire people, and to demonstrate whether it works at scale.