Will Bill Gates live forever? This alarming prospect has been raised by Ray Hammond, an ‘IT futurist’, who has written 13 books. But he is having a little difficulty getting his 14th book published – though possibly the title Why Bill Gates must be stopped may have something to do with it. Hammond has been probing Gates’ involvement in genetic research and says Gates, through involvement in a number of companies, is gathering patents including some for decoding of the aging gene. According to the Independent, having mastered the computer operating system, Hammond fears that Gates now seeks mastery of the human operating system. It is, of course, true that Gates gave a $12m grant for DNA research at the University of Washington and sits on the board of two private biotechnology companies. And he is on record as saying: The gene is the most sophisticated program around. But does anyone seriously believe that Gates is seeking immortality or wants to weave a version of Windows into the DNA of future generations? On the other hand, those who have known him over the years always say how curious it is that Gates never seems to look any older?
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