Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates joined Reddit users for an "Ask Me Anything" session on Monday, in which he spoke about social isolation, philanthropy, "Saturday Night Live" and the scientific question that puzzles him the most.
Big Brother as a big brother?
When asked what pressing issue could be feasibly solved in the next 10 years, Gates suggested technology could be used to save people who feel isolated. "I still wonder if digital tools can help people find opportunities to get together with others," Gates said. He was also quick to differentiate between his vision and Tinder, the casual dating app.
He said he'd prefer to see something that would allow adults to mentor kids and spend time with each other. "It is great that kids go off and pursue opportunities but when you get communities where the economy is weak and a lot of young people have left, then something should be done to help," .
Bill Gates is an 'SNL' nerd
The richest man in the world is still thinking about a Tom Hanks "Saturday Night Live" skit from last October, so much so that he recorded his own version of it.
In a video published on YouTube and attached to the AMA, Gates appears as the 'SNL' character David S. Pumpkins, standing between two freaky-looking snowmen.
"My idea for a David (S.) Pumpkins sequel at Saturday Night Live didn't make the cut last Christmas, but I thought it deserved a second chance," Gates wrote.
Bill Incognito
How does Bill Gates get away with walking around in public, without getting recognized and mobbed?
"I sometimes wear a hat," .
Gates explained that he would often wear a hat when taking his son on college campus tours, because he didn't want to steal the spotlight. "A lot less people recognize me when I have a hat on or else they realize I am trying to be incognito," he said.
Gates added that most people who do recognize him are "super nice," so he doesn't take recognition as a burden.
No more chair-hopping
One Reddit user asked Gates about a hilarious 1994 interview with CBS, in which he demonstrated he could jump over an office chair without knocking it over.
"Can you still jump over an office chair from a standing position?" the user .
"No," . "Perhaps a small chair 鈥� a stool."
He said he exercises and skis, but he usually plays tennis, "which doesn't involve jumping."
What puzzles Bill Gates?
Gates urged Reddit users to develop their curiosity and to nurture it in others. When asked what makes him most curious, he came back to the biggest question of all: life.
"I still find the creation of life and the way the brain works the most fascinating areas," . "It is amazing how little we know about the brain but I expect we will know a lot more in 10 years."
On social media divisions
Gates lamented that social media has not given rise to more engaged and informed political conversation. Rather, he suggested people are becoming more divided because they can now surround themselves with opinions they agree with, while shutting out those they don't like.
"We all need to think about how to avoid this problem," he said. "It would seem strange to have to force people to look at ideas they disagree with, so that probably isn't the solution. We don't want to get to where American politics partitions people into isolated groups."
Gates said he doesn't really have a solution to the problem.
The limits of philanthropy
Gates has taken huge steps toward eradicating polio and other issues plaguing developing countries, through his work at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
However, he admitted in the AMA that there are limits to what he can achieve as a philanthropist, because he can't fund government programs himself. "Government and the private sector are the big players so philanthropy has to be more innovative and fund pilot programs to help the other sectors," Gates said.
"Rather, he says it鈥檚 more effective to fund new medicines or charter schools, "where non-obvious approaches might provide the best solution."
He added that it can be difficult to help developing countries because they have weak governments that make it harder to get things done through federal channels. "If we had more money we could do more good things," he . "Even though we are the biggest foundation, we are still resource-limited."
