When it comes to Reddit, almost nothing is off limits — that's why its "Ask Me Anything" series is so fascinating. Users create a thread inviting Redditors to ask them literally any question on Earth.
Over the years, AMAs have caught the attention of some pretty big names, from Bill Gates to Barack Obama. More than that, people with crazy stories to tell have participated in AMAs to shed light on their fascinating lives.
See also: 11 Historical Figures Who Would've Hosted Rad Reddit AMAs
Here are 15 Reddit AMAs you should definitely take the time to read.
A black man and a member of the KKK may seem like an impossible friendship — but not when it comes to Daryl Davis. The black musician has made a habit of trying to converse with KKK members, and wrote a book about his experience, titled Klan-Destine Relationships. Not only was his AMA enlightening, it also sparked debate and led to users posting stories about their own experiences with the KKK.
Snippet: "I've had to physically fight upon occasion, but that is not my first resort. I did not carry any weapons to my interviews. On one occasion, it was only one Klansman who attacked me. On another, it was three of them. I won, both physically on the street and legally in court."

Image: Flickr, Maik Meid

The Microsoft kingpin did an AMA to promote his work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but he ended up chatting about so much more. Gates opened up about his relationship with Steve Jobs, said he's tried all of Apple's products and revealed why he chose to leave his children $10 million in their trust funds, despite his billion dollar fortune.
Snippet: "I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them. Warren Buffett was part of an article in Fortune talking about this in 1986 before I met him and it made me think about it and decide he was right."
In early 2007, computer consultant Peter Moore accepted a job at an IT consulting firm in Iraq. One month later, he was captured by Iraqi militiamen and held for more than two years. Moore spoke openly about his life in captivity, stating in a matter of fact way that he thought he was going to die every day, contemplated suicide, was chained and blindfolded for nearly a year and had conversations with his pillow to stay sane.
Snippet:"I was moved around every couple of months. One time they took me outside, knelt me down, put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger. At the same time they fired another gun off behind my back. I thought I was dead."

Image: Flickr, Mark Nozell

That's right, the President of the United States did a Reddit AMA. Obama kept an air of political professionalism, but gave lengthy answers that likely made the day of a few Redditors. Plus, it's highly worth reading just for the whip-smart comments and funny remarks.
Snippet: "It's hard — truthfully the main thing other than work is just making sure that I'm spending enough time with Michelle and the girls. The big advantage I have is that I live above the store — so I have no commute! So we make sure that when I'm in DC I never miss dinner with them at 6:30 p.m."

Image: Flickr, Sarah Elliot

Arguably one of the most famous astrophysicists alive, you’ll feel smarter by the end of Tyson's AMA. While he answered a bevy of scientific questions, he also gave some sage wisdom about following your dreams.
Snippet: "For every hard thing you accomplish, fewer other people are out there doing the same thing as you. That's what doing something hard means."
Astronaut Chris Hadfield did an AMA where no man has gone before — in outer space. That's right, he used Reddit while aboard the International Space Station, orbiting Earth. The most social media-savvy astronaut around answered tons of questions about his many breathtaking voyages.
Snippet: "I was Canada's first spacewalker, doing [so] to help build the mighty Canadarm2 robot onto ISS. It was the most magnificent experience of my life. Alone in a one-person spaceship (my suit), just holding on with my one hand, with the bottomless black universe on my left and the world pouring by in technicolor on my right. I highly recommend it."

Image: Flickr, Jason Persse

Rapper Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion) is a celebrity in the real world, but he also happens to be a huge Reddit star. He frequently uses the website and his AMA is silly and candid. Every once in a while, he'll even pop up in another person’s AMA, like he did with Will Ferrell's last week. He also likes to ask himself questions and then answer them.
Snippet: "Who da only person that has evr smoked me out? Answer: willie nelson, wiz khalifa n b-real!!! my guys!!!"
Brooks Brown was supposed to die in the Columbine shooting. By a stroke of luck, he happened to be acquaintances with shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold — right before the mass murders occurred, Harris told Brown to skip school because he "liked me now." What's followed has been a painful journey which led him to write a book and move to San Francisco. Brown speaks openly during his haunting, yet fascinating AMA.
Snippet:"As I told someone today — it gets easier, but never easy. No matter how long it is, I'll be walking through the halls at work, and someone will stop me and tell me that they loved my book. Or I'll open Facebook and see one of three daily messages/friend requests from strangers or 'Eric and Dylan fanboys/girls.' It'll never get easy."

Image: Flickr, Matthias Muehlbradt

Like everything Madonna does, her AMA was in your face and full of diva attitude. The material girl answered ridiculous questions with a cheeky wit, also consistently asking users to "send photo."
Snippet: Redditor question: "Where should I put these hydrangeas?"

Madonna: "Up your ass."

Image: Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP/Associated Press

The manly man actor who portrays Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation covered a variety of topics in his two AMAs. He shared his wisdom about his mustache, scotch, woodworking and bacon — just like you knew he would.
Snippet: "My mustache grows with such rampant, perpetual virility, that we need to trim it three or four times a day during filming. It was cool at first (grade school), but to be honest, it's getting old."
Imagine going to prison for a crime you didn't commit — and then staying there for more than 15 years. Harrison and Clark are both former inmates who were released from prison after 18 and 24 years, respectively, when DNA tests confirmed they were innocent. The pair did an eye-opening AMA that shed light on the misery of the justice system and the horrible conditions they faced in prison.
Snippet : "C: I had cancer. I had my right kidney removed. I was in contact with tuberculosis: everyone in the prison got TB pills. I lost my mother and my sisters and all of my faith and belief.

R: The Lord called up some of my loved ones when I was in prison."

Image: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Associated Press

Even if you don’t love the show Seinfeld, you probably know someone who does and will greatly appreciate this AMA. The comedian gave an incredible number of details about his life and the legendary series, popularly billed as "The show about nothing."
Snippet: "The pitch for the show, the real pitch, when Larry [David] and I went to NBC in 1988, was we want to show how a comedian gets his material. The show about nothing was just a joke in an episode many years later, and Larry and I to this day are surprised that it caught on as a way that people describe the show..."
This AMA was headed by a woman (who preferred to keep the cult and herself nameless) who lived in a Christian cult for 27 years. The Q&A shows the power of religion and sparked an interesting debate between commenters. She shared the horrors of the cult's manipulative and controlling ways.
Snippet: "There were a lot of reports of child molestation and growing up, I had to sit in a lot of 'meetings' where they made adults confess all their sexual sins to the group. It was really hard to hear people you were taught to respect tell everyone that they wanted to rape young girls or sleep with other people's spouses."

Image: Flickr, Anna Hanks

The Matrix trilogy star (whom the Internet has turned into numerous popular memes) was thoughtful, detailed and gave off extremely positive vibes throughout his AMA. You'll come away with a newfound appreciation for the actor (and yes, Redditors did try to trick him into saying "Whoa").
Snippet: "It's easy to stay grounded. The ground is very close. And we walk on it every day."
If you get squeamish about any kind of genitalia talk, these two NSFW AMAs are not for you. If you're a braver soul, carry on and read the AMAs from two people (who chose to remain anonymous) with rare conditions.
No snippet, because most were NSFW.
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