Tencent CEO Pony Ma Raised Question on Basic Sciences on the Quora-like Zhihu

What are the breakthroughs in basic sciences that will make huge influences to the internet tech industry?
What kind of changes would be brought by the fusion and innovations of industrial and consumer internet?

Tencent CEO Pony Ma raised these questions on the Quora-like Zhihu, quickly attracting 49,905 followers with 1783 answers within two days.

Nine other internet KOLs will post their own questions on the platform consecutively, as participants of the Zhihu event called “Internet Observers.”

Pony Ma’s question about basic sciences has aroused the attention of many senior media and internet workers.

SEE ALSO: Pony Ma Says Tencent Will Invest Vigorously in Cloud Computing, AI and Big Data

Zhang Peng, Founder of tech media GeekPark wrote, “If we are to pick one of the subjects for scientific research, I think it will be quantum computing. I visited a quantum computer startup during my visit in Oxford University this May. I also had a deep discussion with Microsoft Executive Vice President Shen Xiangyang on the prospect of quantum computing. It is highly predictable that quantum computing will evolve from pure scientific research to an effective prototype for pragmatic technologies in the next ten years. The explosive growth of this inevitable computing power, though will not directly affect the computing for ordinary people, will bring great acceleration in the field of scientific research.”

“The respect for basic sciences and belief in a scientific spirit is what tech entrepreneurs should benefit from and pass on,” Zhang said.

It has been six years since Ma last posted a question on Zhihu. Seven years ago, he started to be active on Zhihu, marking his interests in topics such as Steve Jobs and WeChat. Six years ago, he asked his first question on the platform, “What is the stage of internet development the whole mankind is experiencing now? What are the general trends of internet upgrade in the next decade going to be?”

Ma has been one of the entrepreneurs that are deeply devoted to the development of basic sciences. He is one of the sponsors of the Future Science Prize, China’s first-ever non-governmental science award and the Chinese version of Nobel Prize. In September this year, he donated 200 million yuan ($29 million) to his alma mater Shenzhen university for setting up the talent foundation.