"60 Minutes" recently did a feature on Bill Gates. Among various other topics he discussed, he touched on the production of toilets that run without the use of plumbing. As he explains it, one of the prototypes processes water near the bottom of the toilet and then recycles it through the top portion of the toilet. Bill Gates believes technology can lay the groundwork for solving the world’s problems, and that inventions, such as this plumbing-free toilet, can hold the key to that success.

Currently, 2.5 billion people don’t have access to clean sanitation. This leads to polluted water sources, which in turn, spreads illnesses and diseases. It’s a never-ending cycle. Read about what the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is doing to ensure that millions around the world have access to the basic necessities in life, such as proper sanitation.