What Is A Metaverse?

Metaverse, wow. It’s an explosive topic lately, with everyone trying to find out what it is, how it works and what this means for the human existence.

It’s an amazing combination of virtual reality, augmented reality, cryptocurrencies, NFTs and interactive experiences. That’s more than just a lot of buzzwords, it’s happening right now.

WHAT IS A METAVERSE?

A metaverse is an alternate parallel version of the real wold AND the internet that allows users to access 3D virtual environments using computers as well as virtual & augmented reality gear.

So there’s the book Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson that conceived the idea in 1992. Since then … the idea has been percolating in Silicon Valley and the technology world, and now it’s boiling over into reality. It’s also rendered nicely in Ready Player One by Earnest Cline in 2011.

You may also think of The Matrix, and how there’s a real world where everybody is plugged in as batteries for machines while living their lives inside the Matrix, a virtual world with its own currency and types of interaction.

But that’s a dark and dystopian version of a Metaverse, and what we’re talking about today is a very positive and real one, with a lot of practical & powerful uses to enhance our lives.

Companies like Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft, Roblox and Epic Games are among the biggest players so far. But what is likely to be some of the most interesting and experimental additions to the idea of a metaverse will probably come from small and medium size businesses that have more latitude to experiment with.

And they’ll create their own Metaverses based on community, so any kind of community or interest based topic can be grounds for a Metaverse of its own: sports, music, religion, local or national events … you name it. The idea only has to be conceived for a Metaverse to be created for it.

METAVERSE EXAMPLES

Video games like Roblox & Fortnight, work environments, live performances, fitness, virtual tours, education, cryptocurrencies and NFTs are all potential examples of Metaverse applications.

WAYS TO INTERACT WITH A METAVERSE

You can interact with the Metaverse through virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) o on a screen for your computer. Are you buying Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies or making or buying NFTs? Then you’re participating in the Metaverse.

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