Status update: The future of Facebook is telepathy

02 July 2015 - 02:05 By Andrew Trotman, ©The Daily Telegraph

Facebook users will one day be able to send messages and posts telepathically, according to the platform's founder, Mark Zuckerberg. The social network's chief executive said the "ultimate communication technology" would enable people to send thoughts direct to each other."One day, I believe, we'll be able to send full, rich thoughts to each other direct using technology."You'll just be able to think of something and your friends will immediately be able to experience it too, if you'd like. This would be the ultimate communication technology."Zuckerberg offered his view of Facebook's future in an hour-long question-and-answer session about the social network in which he also answered queries from actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and physicist Stephen Hawking.In response to Facebook user Marcel Rukeltukel's question about where the website is heading, the billionaire said helping people share information, especially by using video, is one of his main aims.He said: "There are a few important trends in human communication that we hope to improve. First, people are gaining the power to share in richer and richer ways. We used to just share in text, and now we post mainly with photos."In the future video will be even more important than photos. After that, immersive experiences, such as virtual reality will become the norm. And after that, we'll have the power to share our full sensory and emotional experience with people whenever we like."Second, people are gaining the power to communicate more frequently. We used to have to be with someone in person. Then we had these bulky computers at our desks or that we could carry around. Now we have these incredible devices in our pockets all the time, but we only use them periodically throughout the day. In the future, we'll have augmented reality and other devices that we can wear almost all the time to improve our experience and communication."Our lives improve as our communication tools get better. We can build richer relationships with the people we care about, know what's going on in the world, and make better decisions in our jobs and lives. We are also more informed and can make better decisions collectively as a society. This increase in the power people have to share is one of the major forces driving the world today."The 31-year-old took questions from famous people, with Schwarzenegger asking him what his workout regime is like.Zuckerberg said: "I make sure I work out at least three times a week - usually first thing when I wake up. I also try to take my dog running whenever I can."He added that "the machines won't win", in reference to one of Schwarzenegger's most famous films, The Terminator.Hawking asked him which of the "big questions in science" the technology entrepreneur would like to know the answer to and why.Zuckerberg said: "I'm most interested in questions about people. What will enable us to live forever? How do we cure all diseases? How does the brain work? How does learning work and how can we empower humans to learn a million times more?"I'm also curious about whether there is a fundamental mathematical law underlying human social relationships that governs the balance of whom and what we all care about."Zuckerberg, who has a net worth of $35-billion (about R428-billion), ended his Q&A session by revealing what happiness means to him."To me, happiness is doing something meaningful that helps people I love, and that I believe in."I think lots of people confuse happiness with fun. I don't believe it is possible to have fun every day. But I do believe it is possible to do something meaningful that helps people every day."As I've grown up, I've gained more appreciation for my close relationships - my wife, my partners at work, my close friends. Nobody builds something by themselves. Long-term relationships are very important." ..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.