What did Bill and Melinda Gates tell a room full of teenagers from around the world?
If you had 75 minutes to talk to a room full of super smart teenagers, what would you say?
The next generation is inheriting quite a few problems on ol' planet Earth. What advice do you have for them as they grow up and lead our future?
Would you try to inspire them? Encourage them? Lecture them?
This year's "annual letter" from Bill and Melinda Gates was written specifically for the next generation.
After releasing their highly anticipated annual letter, Bill and Melinda Gates decided to throw an event for the people they wrote it for: teenagers.
Moderated by author and awesome Internet person John Green in YouTube's New York City studios, Bill and Melinda fielded real questions submitted by a group of about 50 teens from all over the world.
As the 75-minute conversation continued, the powerful couple also used the time to go beyond the main themes of time and energy (please be sure to read about them!) to drop some really important life lessons and big ideas to consider.
Here are four of 'em.
1. When you're solving a big problem, it might be helpful to turn it into an actual problem — a math problem!
All photos from TheGatesNotes/YouTube.
In their annual letter, Bill honed in on energy supply being one of the most imperative problems to solve for our future.
But figuring out a true solution is super hard and super scary. So Bill broke down how we can work toward a solution with a straightforward math equation.
Image via Bill and Melinda Gates' 2016 annual letter, used with permission.
Let's work backward. What's causing all the CO2, which is represented as the result of this math problem? It's a combination of people (P), services they use (S), the energy those services need (E), and the carbon dioxide produced by that energy (C).
When it's broken down like this, the priorities not only become clear but sort of comforting in their simplicity. Bill goes into more of the nuances in both the letter and a video explainer, but this kind of problem solving exercise can be applied to many problems.
This solid formula serves as a blueprint to follow and provides some solid guidance on how to achieve a solution, while leaving the bulk of the creative journey to those taking on the challenge.
"Don't forget to be awesome." — John Green
2. The world is not always what it appears to be.
Melinda shared a personal story of seeing pictures of Africa as a child that portrayed the whole place as just one giant dustbowl.
"It's anything but," she said. "It's this thriving economy."
In Ethiopia, which is Africa's second largest country, they talked about getting to know a "health army of women" who are actively creating better access to health care by setting up small-yet-mighty clinics that especially cater to maternal health.
It's a portrait of an African country that you don't see often in the media — empowered, successful, thriving. We must continue to challenge the stereotypes of developing countries to lift each other up and truly collaborate the world over. Solutions are happening everywhere.
"When we share our story, we share our humanity. And when we share our humanity, that's when we connect." — Melinda Gates.
3. Diversity in our leadership matters.
At one point during the conversation, Melinda put a quote from the annual letter up on the screen: “Most girls don’t think they’ll be stuck with the same rules that kept their grandmothers in the home … if you think that, you’re wrong.”
What does this mean? She explained that a lot of girls grow up only to repeat what they tried to fight against in their youth simply because they don't know what a different future looks like. The more women — and diverse women across cultures — achieve leadership roles, the more girls can see and choose a future they feel empowered to pursue.
That is the reason we need more diversity overall in our leadership. It's so people can see what real success looks like — and then make their own paths.
"This is a great time to be alive and we ought to be hopeful." — Bill Gates
4. “We need you, and we are counting on you.”
When one student in the audience asked about what message they'd like to give to the world, it followed suit: hope.
"The world is improving, not for everyone at the same rate, but it is improving," said Melinda. "We need to focus on the fact that the world is getting better. The amazing science that we’re talking about is a part of that."
"This is a great time to be alive and we ought to be hopeful," added Bill.
And why do they feel this way? Because of the teens.
At the end of the event, John Green talked about a very common opinion among adults that see young people as overly self-centered and selfish. But he said that couldn't be further from the truth that he sees. Bill and Melinda agreed.
"I see young people using social media in unique and clever ways," says Melinda. "And they're using it to connect. I see a generation that is saying to us, 'I want to give back' and they value doing something for this world."
"We're turning to you for the solutions to the big problems — for big solutions," says Bill. "We're not just here to encourage you, but because we need you and are counting on you."
So, who were these teens in the audience that they're counting on?
The teens in the room were selected from the Global STEM Alliance of the New York Academy of Sciences. It's a program that pairs youths from all over the world with mentors in their desired fields to not only help them learn skills but also apply their creative thinking to big problems.
But as the letter said, this is a message we need to instill in all of our children — as well as all of us.
The overall message is this: We have to work together to create change. And ain't that the truth.
Working together can bring about real change — and teens are on the front line. Now is the time to remember to work together and, as John Green says, "Don't forget to be awesome."
To see a full replay of this live event, check out this recording of the YouTube live stream. And just for kicks, why not watch John Green break down some of the biggest themes of Bill and Melinda's annual letter in this super fun video:
The Frenchman's monologue was absolutely spot on 
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.