Microsoft founder Bill Gates completed his second Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session today, answering questions about cryogenics, condoms, his new role in Redmond, and casting Samuel L. Jackson in a movie about his life.
"I had a lot of fun doing last year's AMA and am excited to come back for another round of questions about everything from philanthropy to technology to how to lose a chess match in less than 90 seconds," Gates wrote on the site.
At 10 a.m. Pacific (1 p.m. Eastern), the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation opened the floor for questions, like the difference between 20-year-old Gates and modern-day Gates.
"[Twenty] years ago I would stay in my office for days at a time and not think twice about it—so I had energy and naiveté on my side," he said. "Now hopefully I am a bit more mellow but with a little extra wisdom."
With that extra wisdom, Gates answered topics ranging from the computers that learn to selling stocks to his most unexpected hobby (playing Bridge) and most expensive guilty pleasure (owning a plane).
Unsurprisingly, attention quickly turned to the Gates Foundation's call for the development of the "Next Generation of Condom"—an ongoing search that began almost a year ago.
"The idea was that men don't like the current design so perhaps something they would be more open to would allow for less HIV transmission," he wrote on Reddit. A final decision has not been made, but Gates revealed that "one grantee is using carbon nanotubes to reduce the [condom's] thickness."
Focus also turned to his new role with Microsoft, the company Gates co-founded 39 years ago. While slightly sidestepping the question about his position as chairman of Redmond's board of directors, Gates said he was "thrilled" when new CEO Satya Nadella "asked me to pitch in to make sure Microsoft is ambitious with its innovation."
The executive hopes to split his time between Redmond (one-third) and the Gates Foundation (two-thirds)—and even advised on how to balance business and philanthropy (the answer: just create an innovative company).
Most Redditers, however, probably didn't expect the question to come from actor David Hewlett, a.k.a. Stargate: Atlantis's Dr. Rodney Meredith McKay, who hosted his own AMA last month.
And speaking of actors, Gates OK'd the casting of movie star Samuel L. Jackson in the film role of himself, saying that wife Melinda "would probably watch that version."
Gates is no stranger to Reddit. In December, he participated in the site's annual Secret Santa program, making one girl's holidays bright with a donation to Heifer International, National Geographic's Journeys of a Lifetime book, and a photo of Gates holding the gifted stuffed cow and a signed note to the recipient, Rachel.
Still, today's AMA didn't quite have the same effect as President Barack Obama's unannounced Q&A session in August, which crashed the site multiple times during his 40-minute session.
For more, see 7 Books Bill Gates Thinks You Should Read. And check out Gates and his friend, Snoo, in the video below.

http://youtu.be/ynQ5ZhxYAss