It’s been called the world’s biggest open-source project, a virtual universe, the Metaverse! While it’s still in its early stages of development, the future of blockchain technology could mean major changes to our online lives — everything from communication to shopping to business transactions could be affected by blockchain technology. So, what exactly is the Metaverse and what will it mean for us in the future?
How did we get here?
The metaverse can be traced back to Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel Snow Crash, which describes a fully immersive 3D world called the Metaverse. In 2013, Palmer Luckey created a prototype of such a world when he built an inexpensive device that delivered virtual reality experiences. The tech-savvy community hailed Luckey as a visionary, but his company — then Oculus VR — struggled to get funding until Facebook stepped in with two billion dollars.
Now, we have enough processors and video resolution to create lifelike augmented reality; enter Google Glass, Samsung Gear VR … With all these players rushing in, you might think we’re about to enter some sci-fi cyberpunk dystopia. But let’s also remember something: We once lived in a time where horses were widely used transportation.
The beginning of VR / AR
Do you remember back when Google Glass came out? Even though they looked ridiculous and would fall off while you were wearing them, VR/AR was born. While there isn’t really a market yet (the glasses never took off), there are a lot of tech companies working hard to make sure that when that time comes, we won’t be left behind. The future is going to be incredible. We just don’t know how incredible!
The first step in adopting any new technology is understanding how it works and how we can utilize it to get what we want — here are a few examples How do Virtual Reality headsets work? Is it true that we can download skills into our brains with AR devices? What should I expect from virtual reality games in the near future? What about Microsoft Hololens — why is everyone so excited about it being an augmented reality device instead of a virtual one? With all these new technologies being released, many people are choosing to wait and see before trying them.
The block chain
A shared public ledger which everyone can inspect, but which no single user controls. A decentralized open database which anyone can add to, but not change or remove entries. What does that sound like to you? It sounds like a dictionary definition of a collection of web pages linked by hyperlinks, with those pages containing links to other web pages and so on. Add an open standard for describing 3D spaces and voila! We have something very similar to Second Life — a world constructed out of layers upon layers of linked digital objects sitting on top of multiple computers around the globe.
So I guess we have been building metaverses all along without knowing it… almost. The only problem with these current implementations is that someone has to own them before they become valuable tools for society rather than just cool games.
Why do we need a metaverse?
Looking back on human history, we’ve spent most of our time tied to reality — a limited, physical realm that could never hold all of our dreams. But as technology has advanced, many of those limitations have faded into memory. Digital technology already allows us to communicate across oceans at a fraction of the cost and time required decades ago; why can’t we dream even bigger? How about accessing information from any location without ever needing to leave your home? Or exploring digital worlds designed to transport you to places only your imagination could take you before? All of these things are possible with virtual reality. In fact, they’re not just possible — they’re coming sooner than you might think!
What exactly is metaverse? The term metaverse was originally coined by Larry Hall. It comes from Greek roots: metan meaning after, beyond or higher (than) and verse meaning to turn or change. And while we don’t know yet what form metaverse will take, we do know one thing: To truly reach its potential requires active participation by both creators and consumers alike.
Where are we going from here?
After 20 years of research, virtual reality has finally come into its own as a viable technology that’s ready to influence our lives. We have already started to see glimpses of metaverses — virtual worlds that bring together thousands or even millions of people in one universe, shared by individuals all over the world — and their effect on societies. These environments may well form an essential part of how we interact with each other and share experiences from now on. Our choice then becomes whether we act responsibly when creating these environments and support positive social interactions — or use them to cause division, discontentment, and mental health issues among society as a whole.
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