New Delhi, Jan. 4 -- As this is my first column of the new year, I thought I would do something challenging-write what is good about the modern world. Here are a few things:

Billionaires versus death: Billionaires do not have the heart to leave the party of life. That is where they become extremely useful to us. They are pouring billions into medical research that they will have no choice but to share with all of us someday. Their greed could help us live longer.

The superrich have been directing private capital towards curing ageing, which they consider a disease, and also other diseases no one disputes are diseases. Even though Bill Gates spends most of his philanthropic billions on the diseases that rage among the poor, he also spend...