Walk on the moon in your pajamas? Watch a baseball game from the pitcher’s mound? Frolic in a field of unicorns—or be a unicorn yourself? (I’m looking at you, Tippy.)
Such scenarios, according to tech visionaries, will all be possible in the future, in what is referred to as the metaverse.
Here is the meaning of metaverse, from Wikipedia:
The word “Metaverse” is made up of the prefix “meta” (meaning beyond) and the stem “verse” (a back-formation from “universe”); the term is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe. The metaverse in a broader sense may not only refer to virtual worlds, but the Internet as a whole, including the entire spectrum of augmented reality.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a July earnings call with analysts. “In the coming years, I expect people will transition from seeing us primarily as a social media company to seeing us as a metaverse company.”
The technology needed for the metaverse will likely include smartphones, computers, specialized glasses, haptic gear that allows the user to feel virtual objects, and hardware like omnidirectional treadmills that can simulate running, climbing, and other physical activities.
What are some possible activities one could engage with while using the metaverse?
- class trips to anywhere, from any time period, all rendered in realistic-looking 3-D. For example, students could peer inside every nook and cranny of the Colosseum, with a virtual gladiator powered by artificial intelligence on hand to answer questions.
- the ability to watch live footage of concerts and athletic events, from any angle of our choosing.
- to the ability to mix virtual content with real-world video and interact virtually—for example, by pelting football players with virtual tomatoes
- users will buy and sell virtual pets—from lifelike dogs and cats to dragons and other fantastical creatures. There may also be a market for related services like pet walking and grooming (I’ll gladly take a virtual pet for a virtual walk, from the comfort of my couch).
- Other potential business opportunities include virtual weddings and parties, with vendors creating venues and charging rental or entry fees
- customers would be able to visit virtual retail outlets and try out products in 3-D and at full scale before buying. A tall person could check if he or she could stand comfortably inside a camping tent, for example, before purchasing it and having it shipped to his or her real-world home.
- real-estate agents could use the metaverse to allow people shopping for a new place to live to virtually tour homes anywhere in the world without leaving their own home, They could walk the premises room by room—and could even scan their current furniture and upload it into the homes to see how it would look.
- architects and construction-company executives—no matter where they are in real life—could visit a job site virtually to monitor the construction of a new building, which along with its surroundings would be rendered in highly realistic 3-D
All of the above ideas come courtesy of an article written by Sarah Needleman in Monday’s WSJ. Some ideas that the article sparked in my mind:
- space travel – no need to pay millions to get nearly the same experience, and in some ways better, than what Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are currently offering.
- virtual vacations to anywhere in the world, even imaginary places
- virtual homeownership, in a customized house, in whatever location you want it to be (this is my chance to own a beachfront property)
- virtual skydiving and bungee jumping adventures
- a virtual saloon where you could gather with your friends for a beer or two, and invite people who have passed away
The possibilities of the metaverse are unlimited, but not without its concerns, including privacy, security, and the fear that some people may prefer it to the real world.
Those issues will need to be hammered out, perhaps even virtually, before the metaverse becomes the Wild, Wild, Metaverse…
source: The Wall Street Journal
I have a vision of grand-scale depression setting in every time people have to return to the real world.
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I guess that’s one of the dangers of such virtual worlds…
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So a career in mental healthcare might be wise in the future. Especially if you didn’t possess technical skills.
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there could be all sorts of new jobs related to the metaverse…
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Maybe one day we’ll have virtual coffins and cemeteries so that we’ll have a way to bury all the people who disappear into the metaverse, never to be seen again.
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and then we will be able to bring them back virtually as an avatar…
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There’s no end to the virtual fun we can have.
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apparently not…
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Thats all way to much for me. I rather go back to the 80’s when things were simpler. 😁
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and you could have bought stock in Apple and Microsoft!
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While there are some real-life applications, some of this stuff is just too bizarre for me. Virtual pets?
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I think people have already had some experience with robotic like pets, so this is just going one step further…
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Reality is such a limiting concept.
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🙂
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I think you will need a treadmill to walk that dog 😂
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maybe the dog could be trained to walk itself on the treadmill… 🙂
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I am not on board yet. Sweeten the deal.
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how abut if you could create a virtual blog that has over one million followers?
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OK, now I am on board!
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just had to find the right type of metaverse!
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People today live there lives through their devices already, so I guess this is the next logical step. We barely have a grip on reality now so letting go won’t be hard. I always wanted a dragon for a pet but didn’t want to have to clean up after it.
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well now you can have that dragon, and hire a virtual pet service to clean up after it…
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i’m all about real world experiences, even if not as exotic and fantastical. this concept makes me motion sick and dizzy just considering it
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your comment gave ne another idea – virtual amusement parks with roller coasters that really would make you motion sick and dizzy…
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Nooooooooo
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🙂
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Interesting but slightly scary. Could this be a ploy to keep people at home, under control and happier in their virtual, non real, world? Just a thought.
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if it keeps them happier, then many people might prefer such a world…
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Not me…. I’d like to keep a grip on reality.
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same here…
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Good to see that the WSJ has its finger firmly on the pulse: there have been augmented reality apps available for the iPhone and iPad for at least five years, and cheap goggles to use with your phone for a virtual reality experience. As an escape from present day life it might be ok for a while, but on balance I think I’d prefer the real thing.
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I’m with you; these things sound like a fun diversion. but that’s all it would be…
and yes, some of this stuff has been around for a while…
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Fun for a while but, like most fads, the interest would wane. Funny how they picked up on the story now – it’s almost as if Zuckerberg encouraged them so he could make even more money…
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“encouraged” them with a large ad spend perhaps 🙂
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That’s the way their world works…
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Well, if the current Facebook practices and algorithms are any indication of how it will work, I image lots of virtual ads and paid content following you around and all paths mostly leading into a virtual sewer.
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that sounds like a distinct possibility…
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The KLM Crown Lounge 52 at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has two Sensiks Virtual Reality booths that combine virtual reality videos with sensory effects like touch, smell and feel. The metaverse takes VR to a new level. The downsides of the technology concern me. If deepfake videos are bad, metaverse deep fakes might be even worse.
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that would be fun to visit those VR booths.
maybe one advantage of the metaverse is that you should know going in that nothing is real, even if there is a deepfake video. but a regular deepfake you may not know if it’s real
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As long as it is clear what is real and what is fake in the metaverse if it used to convey information like the internet.
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yes, and I guess I see your point; some bad actors may not do that…
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Well, I still like paper books. I’m sure I’ll be slow to adopt the metaverse.
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maybe there will be metaverses that immerse you in your favorite books…
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I’m still shaking my head at one of your earlier posts that showed that site where a person could pay for a virtual dress to wear for social media pix! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about the ways some people today will choose to spend i.e. waste their money. Maybe sometimes they use my thinking when I “invest” $ in casino gaming which I look at as payment for the entertainment I get out of it. That helps me quit before I lose too much because it’s usually so hard for me to quit while I’m ahead!
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I agree, people are free to spend their time and money as they see fit. I just hope that they do not become addicted to something like the metaverse. You seem to have the right attitude about casino gaming; it’s a form of entertainment, and you need to keep it under control so that it does not become an addiction…
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“Is it real or is it Memorax?” Coming from a different generation, but the idea mirrors where the universe of technology is heading in the future.
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Please excuse my spelling . . . “Memorex”
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I remember those Memorex commercials, and you are right, technology just keeps moving forward…
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The next best thing to the real deal.
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🙂
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