Written by Antai Liu
2022 Cohort
Part 1 The Pros
What is Metaverse? The Metaverse concept could begin in a science fiction [Snow Crash] written by Neal Stephenson in 1992. In the novel, he creates a virtual world that everybody can get access. In the virtual world, people can be somebody else. That is the basic idea of Metaverse, virtual reality, virtual world, and the virtual universe, in which everyone can communicate, interact, and not attach to the real world. The concept could be obscure, but I believe you have already seen Metaverse in other media formats. For example, in the [Matrix] series movies, a small part of the humans live in Zion, and other humans live in tubes which are batteries for the Robots. However, these people’s minds are connected to the Matrix, a virtual world created by AIs. The Matrix itself is a Metaverse. And also the OASIS functions in [Ready Player One]. If you are familiar with video games, the concept of Metaverse is more clear to grasp. In GTA Online, all player lives in Los Santos, connecting, teaming up, or killing each other… We can say that Los Santos is a prototype of Metaverse.
Metaverse, good or bad? Right now, there is no conclusion. No Metaverse has been created yet, only prototypes; there are still many obstacles to conquer. In my opinion, the biggest obstacle is the connection; how do you interact with a computer? VR goggles and a special suit, like [Ready Player One]? Or a bio-interface? A tube in your brain like [Matrix]? All we can do is imagine if we successfully create a Metaverse, then what will happen to us?
If I’m in Metaverse, the first thing to do is travel the world. Because I like to travel, an old proverb in China goes like this: “Reading a thousand books is not good enough; you have to travel a million miles, also.” This means that knowledge comes from learning and life experience. Travelling in the real world is expensive and time-consuming; however, in Metaverse, you can travel to any place instantly and without any cost. Free ride! At the same time, you can do whatever you want and be anyone you want. 200% freedom!
On the other hand, Metaverse also has cons. Do you want to know more? See you next week!