While virtual reality might be a focus of Facebook for now, in the distant future Mark Zuckerberg hopes that we could use the social media service through telepathy.
The comments were made during one of Facebook's public Q&A sessions, with the question concerning Facebook's long-term plans.
"One day I believe we'll be able to send full, rich thoughts to each other directly using technology," said Zuckerberg during the session. "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."
Facebook has already largely changed the way that we communicate, first helping people communicate through their profiles and through commenting on posts, and then, over the past year, putting a huge focus on messaging. In fact, the company has been focusing on turning Messenger into a platform of its own, now allowing developers to create apps for the service.
With its acquisition of Oculus, however, the company seems to be putting an emphasis on virtual reality, even having said in the past that it would figure out a way to bring the social media platform to VR headsets like the Oculus Rift.
Of course, using telepathy to connect over Facebook is something that won't take place anytime soon, but it's not as far-fetched as some might think. Scientists have already figured out ways to create computer interfaces that use brainwaves, translating thoughts into software commands. While studies around this kind of technology have been limited to things like motion commands, entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg, of course, have bigger plans.
"Our lives improve as our communication tools get better in many ways. We can build richer relationships with the people we love and care about," continued Zuckerberg. "We know about what's going on in the world and can 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."
Of course, telepathy wasn't the only topic of conversation during the Q&A session. Stephen Hawking asked Zuckerberg what big question of science Zuckerberg would like to have answered. Zuckerberg answered that he was most curious regarding 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 we can 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 who and what we all care about. I bet there is," Zuckerberg said.
