2. Imagine that Gates had not reassured his audience immediately that the mosquitoes were malaria-free. What (if any) responsibility does a speaker have to protect an audience from becoming disturbed or upset Microsoft founder Bill Gates is passionate about eliminating the scourge of malaria from the world.

The disease kills millions of people each year, but Gates told an elite California audience that it’s hard for Westerners to appreciate the impact of the disease because the majority of deaths occur in the developing world.

Then Gates used a unique strategy to show his listeners the risk faced by so many less fortunate people in tropical parts of the world. “There’s no reason only poor people should have the experience,”

he calmly remarked as he opened a jar and released a swarm of mosquitoes. Nervous laughter erupted as the tiny insects flew into the audience.

The stir caused by the mosquito stunt was immediate and widespread. Audience members tweeted the news into cyberspace, where it spread around the world faster than any infectious disease.

Gates’ simple strategy of using mosquitoes as props dramatized his point far more effectively than would otherwise have been possible.