Written by Sifan，2021 Cohort
Recently, I had a short chat in our Bootcamp about the different moods of the meta-verse. Some were excited, while others felt it is a bit dangerous. So what exactly is the metaverse?
The “metaverse” is the result of the information revolution (5G/6G), the Internet revolution (web3.0), the artificial intelligence revolution, and the virtual reality technology revolution, including VR, AR, MR, and especially game engines.
It has triggered the interaction of information science, quantum science, mathematics, and life science. It has also driven a breakthrough in traditional philosophical, sociological, and even humanistic science systems. It encompasses all digital technologies, including blockchain technology. In addition, the metaverse enriches the digital economy transformation model by incorporating the results of digital finance such as DeFi, IPFS, and NFT.
The concept first came from Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. This refers to a parallel digital world that is separate from the physical world but always online, in which people can live freely as avatars.
Just like in the scene in the movie “Ready Player One,” one day in the future, people will be able to switch their identities between the physical world and the digital world at any time and anywhere and learn, work, make friends, shop, travel, etc. in a “metaverse” made up of virtual space and time nodes. A virtual world built on blockchain technology has a decentralized platform that allows players to enjoy ownership and autonomy. It brings the virtual world closer to reality through an immersive experience.
In addition to being a digital space concept, the metaverse can also be a physical space concept. The Internet of Things will mirror data and geospatially trigger content into the metaverse, allowing us to understand, manipulate, and simulate the natural world in new ways. The virtual real estate of the metaverse hosts digital assets, and all kinds of digital art can shine in this space. If you could one day upload your consciousness to play in the digital world like a “top player,” would you choose to do so? And will it be like “sword and sorcery,” making me unable to wake up? It seems that only time can tell us the answer.
