What is the Metaverse and Should You Care?

Chances are you’ve heard talk of the metaverse before and there’s perhaps an equally strong chance your eyes glaze over when you hear the term. But, the metaverse is coming, money is being spent on it and we should all be paying attention.   In this episode we dig into what the metaverse is, where the idea for it comes from and - crucially - where it's all heading. Ever since Facebook rebranded to Meta last year, the concept of the metaverse has become harder and harder to ignore and the implications for society are going to be enormous.   We explore some of the work being done to make the metaverse a reality and consider how some aspects of it are already a part of our daily lives. We consider what forms it could take in the future, as well as the downsides and potential benefits of adding an extra dimension to our already cluttered lives. Either way, whether the idea of the metaverse excites or terrifies you, you’d better get used to it because you’re going to be hearing a lot more about it in the coming months and years.   We reference a few resources in this episode, all of which are worth your time if you’d like to learn more. The brilliant Arthur Hayes article can be found at: https://cryptohayes.medium.com/rock-paper-scissors-says-go-a3641dfe132c. There’s also Time’s cover story here: https://time.com/6197849/metaverse-future-matthew-ball/ as well as a useful piece from Vice here: https://www.vice.com/en/article/93bmyv/what-is-the-metaverse-internet-technology-vr   The two books we mention are:   Snow Crash (1992) by Neal Stephenson  The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything (2022) by Matthew Ball (The Time Magazine piece comes from here)   We hope you enjoy the show.   Producer for iHeart Media: Noel Brown Editor: Sam MoultSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.