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Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

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Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#91

Post by rebuilder »

soundwave106 wrote: post #59
wingerlang wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 'tools' are optional though? Anyway, install a spray hose behind the toilet out of the way. I've used both the hose and the high-tech toilets and I'd pick the former any day.

I echo that the toilet hose or (apparently this is the common slang for them) "bum guns" that you see in many Asian restrooms would be pretty cool to retrofit to a Western restroom (they really are more sanitary than the simple paper wipe, MHO). They are indeed pretty cheap. Scanning forums, though, there are two points I see that one would have to consider. The first seems to be that hoses / sprayers can be little m…

When you say "Western", which countries are you referring to? I ask because in Finland at least, bidet showers are very common, although so are floor drains in toilets. Nevertheless, I'm not aware of any widespread issues with leaks or mis-spraying.

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#92

Post by [deleted] »

mindfulplay wrote: post #18

This reminds me of software developer who favor deep, technical, architectural work instead of attractive, "sounds cool on paper" sort of work. To an outsider, the animations look cool but the engine that drives the animation is cooler to software engineers. Point being, this is not something a normal philanthropist would imagine being cool and awesome. This takes someone who actually cares about shit (in this case l…

[deleted]

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#93

Post by phot0n »

I have to ask: the results of this research are amazing, but isn't this something that we should all realize is of material importance? Why did it take the funding of a benevolent economic dictator?

If you question my assertion of his economic role, this podcast [1] goes into the questionable aspects of the philanthropy of the Gates Foundation and some of the experiments being run in Africa without popular democratic input or consent.

[1] https://medium.com/@CitationsPodcst/episode-46-the-not-so-be...

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#94

Post by monadgonad »

NeedMoreTea wrote: post #37
seibelj wrote: post #4

Has anyone tried to make an SV startup-style company sell Japanese-type toilets in America? I think a lot of people would like them

Mostly you only need to replace the lid+seat to get those. There's a few companies selling Japanese bidet seats in the UK and some that provide translated control panels. No reason they wouldn't succeed in the US too. Only the highest priced ones are the complete toilet.

> There's a few companies selling Japanese bidet seats in the UK

Do you have one? Are you able to make any recommendations? I'm considering getting one, but how are they powered? The idea of a power socket in my bathroom is slightly horrifying.

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#95

Post by wingerlang »

soundwave106 wrote: post #59
wingerlang wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 'tools' are optional though? Anyway, install a spray hose behind the toilet out of the way. I've used both the hose and the high-tech toilets and I'd pick the former any day.

I echo that the toilet hose or (apparently this is the common slang for them) "bum guns" that you see in many Asian restrooms would be pretty cool to retrofit to a Western restroom (they really are more sanitary than the simple paper wipe, MHO). They are indeed pretty cheap. Scanning forums, though, there are two points I see that one would have to consider. The first seems to be that hoses / sprayers can be little m…

Good points, my bathroom does indeed have a drain. As long as you don't have a carpeted bathroom I wouldn't worry too much though. Just don't have full on pressure.

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#96

Post by mrath »

aerophilic wrote: post #53
nradov wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Western toilets seem to work reasonably well with septic tanks in rural areas. Those don't involve sewer lines or treatment plants.

The issue comes down to cost. As he mentions in the article, the goal is to get to 5 cents a day. Just a basic calculation, a “standard” septic system costs between $1500-4000 to install, and lasts roughly 25 years. Just doing the math on the low end costs brings you to about $0.16 cents a day, 3X the goal Bill Gates is advocating. Note: this isn’t even taking into account the cost of the toilet itself or any plumbin…

> the goal is to get to 5 cents a day

Anyone know which country is this considering?

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#97

Post by phot0n »

TangoTrotFox wrote: post #48
forapurpose wrote: post #3

Gates does wonderful things with his philanthropy. I notice that he doesn't invest in any social issues or in politics, even when the politics is directly related (e.g., does he lobby the politicians or try to move the public regarding education funding?). Why not? Is it a policy? Prior generations of philanthropists invested heavily in peace and justice, for example, including the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie En…

Politics is extremely divisive and, even more importantly, is perhaps no longer a major vessel to enact meaningful longterm change. There is of course the issue of one decade's change being overwritten by the next decade's party. But there's something more fundamental. In times past government was able to enact huge changes, because government enacted and enforced policies that directly harmed society. Slavery is the…

Syndicalism is one possible solution, like what's being done in Jackson, MS [1]

[1] https://cooperationjackson.org

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#98

Post by torgian »

gnarbarian wrote: post #61
aerophilic wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue comes down to cost. As he mentions in the article, the goal is to get to 5 cents a day. Just a basic calculation, a “standard” septic system costs between $1500-4000 to install, and lasts roughly 25 years. Just doing the math on the low end costs brings you to about $0.16 cents a day, 3X the goal Bill Gates is advocating. Note: this isn’t even taking into account the cost of the toilet itself or any plumbin…

Really all you'd need to do to drastically improve things is get them to simply dig a hole for an outhouse instead of the rampant open defecation seen in India and some parts of Africa. We can solve the more complex and exponentially expensive problems of water treatment later. Digging a deep hole gets rid of rampant cholera and incidental exposure. Basically you've got to learn to crawl before you can run a 10k. edi…

Doesn’t really work for China though. Plenty of public toilets around, and people (mostly children) will still take a shit in the street.

Hell, I was in Chongqing a couple months ago and saw a teenager literally unzip, in full view of everyone, and pea on (on, not into) a recycling bin. Next to a god damn public toilet.

In the middle of a shopping center.

Near a police officer.

A lot of people just don’t care.

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#99

Post by odonnellryan »

nradov wrote: post #49
docbrown wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing I always thought fascinating about Gates was his candid relationship with feces. mindfuplay’s comment reminded me of the famous glass of shit water Gates drank from his Omniprocessor project [0]. But within that 2015 article, Gates mentions a long term plan for seweage and shit[1]: >If we can develop safe, affordable ways to get rid of human waste, we can prevent many of those deaths and help more children…

Western toilets seem to work reasonably well with septic tanks in rural areas. Those don't involve sewer lines or treatment plants.

Where do you think the poop goes when it gets pumped out?

In the sailing community more and more people are using composting toilets: https://farmingmybackyard.com/diy-composting-toilet/

As long as it is disposed of safely (properly composted), the cost here is the composting material.

Re: Gates Foundation spent $200M funding toilet research

#100

Post by odonnellryan »

torgian wrote: post #98
gnarbarian wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really all you'd need to do to drastically improve things is get them to simply dig a hole for an outhouse instead of the rampant open defecation seen in India and some parts of Africa. We can solve the more complex and exponentially expensive problems of water treatment later. Digging a deep hole gets rid of rampant cholera and incidental exposure. Basically you've got to learn to crawl before you can run a 10k. edi…

Doesn’t really work for China though. Plenty of public toilets around, and people (mostly children) will still take a shit in the street. Hell, I was in Chongqing a couple months ago and saw a teenager literally unzip, in full view of everyone, and pea on (on, not into) a recycling bin. Next to a god damn public toilet. In the middle of a shopping center. Near a police officer. A lot of people just don’t care.

If you gotta go, I guess?

I've seen people poop on the train platform in NJ. Really crazy, but Newark does not open the bathrooms until 7-8AM. So when you're waiting for the 3AM train to DC... what you gonna do?

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