Bill Gates looks more optimistically into the future than into the present and expressed confidence Globalization will flourish.

What happened: “It would be a lot better to be born in 20 years, in 40 years or in 60 years than ever before,” Gates said said while after a personal conversation with Dr. Michael Fullilove Earlier this week in Australia.

The scale of innovation and overall improvement in the human condition will still be dramatic, the billionaire said. He was confident of finding cures for obesity and cancer and eradicating polio.

“It’s easy to be negative about some of these trends when I think it’s really fair. I’m still very optimistic,” he added.

On the topic of globalization: When asked whether to energize stalled globalization in the face of recent challenges, or whether a different narrative should be articulated, Gates said that globalization is connected to many things today.

He noted that today’s modern economy is highly dependent on hydrocarbons. If much of the globally traded oil is eliminated, it will weigh on world trade, he said, adding that it is “the biggest single thing” in terms of dependency.

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“We’re trying to take this miracle crude, which, if it doesn’t emit greenhouse gases, is the most incredible thing,” Gates said. He touted it as cheaper than bottled water and 20 times more energy dense than the world’s best battery.

He also noted that trade has increased tremendously thanks to developments such as container shipping and therefore there are still major factors driving global trade. There are certain minerals that we need, such as: Copper, Lithium and cobalt as part of the green energy revolution, he added.

“It is sad that we are moving into a world where the willingness of at least the US to be dependent on things from China for at least a decade will be low,” said…