How does Metaverse work? Secrets of Metaverse

Imagine meeting your family or friends in a virtual 3D world, created artificially. You can enter this world while sitting in your room, using a special headset or glasses. You can do almost everything you do in the real world, like working, studying, or shopping, but in this virtual world. Before going to our main topic “How does Metaverse work” we will talk about what is metaverse.

What is Metaverse?

The Metaverse is a new technology that is said to replace the internet in the future. It promises to be the future of humanity. The question is, will it change the world of the internet? Experts believe that we need to prepare for this new technology and expect more AI in the gaming space. The Metaverse is the next platform and medium that will be even more immersive and embodied. It will allow you to be in the experience, not just look at it. The future is going to be beyond anything we can imagine, and the Metaverse is going to be a big part of it.

Metaverse Word:

Have you ever heard of the term “Metaverse”? It’s a word that’s been making rounds lately, especially in the tech world. The word itself is made up of two words – “Meta” and “Verse”. The prefix “Meta” is derived from Greek and means “Beyond”, while “Verse” comes from the word “Universe”. So, in essence, the Metaverse is a world that’s beyond our current universe. It’s a term that’s used to describe an artificially created universe. It’s a world that’s created by technology, and it’s becoming more and more popular as technology advances. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll all be living in the Metaverse!

The word Metaverse was first used in a science fiction book called Snow Crash, written by Neal Stephenson in 1992. In the book, he described a world where people had to live in virtual reality because the real world was no longer livable. This virtual world was called the Metaverse. Interestingly, the word Avatar, which we now use to refer to our virtual characters, was first popularized in the same book, Snow Crash. It comes from the Hindi/Sanskrit word Avtar, which means reincarnation of a deity. Continue reading the article to know about How does Metaverse work.

Later on, in 2003, a game called Second Life was released, where people could create their own virtual lives, meet others, buy things, and even own properties. It was like having a second life on the computer.

Multiverse Concept:

It’s basically an artificial world that’s created by technology. You might have heard of the Multiverse, which is a concept that’s been discussed in scientific circles. It’s the idea that there are multiple existing universes, and not just one. Some people believe that the Multiverse is a reality and that there are many universes out there.

Internet Vs Metaverse:

Have you ever thought about the limitations of the internet? I mean, it’s like a whole universe in itself, but when you go online, you’re mostly limited to 2D screens, whether it’s your phone or your computer. But the Metaverse is like a world where you can be completely immersed in it, in 3D. Imagine watching a movie and instead of just being a viewer, you’re actually experiencing it as if you’re in the movie. For instance, if you’re watching a cricket match on TV, it’s in 2D, but with virtual reality, you could get a 360° experience of watching the match around you. It’s like you’re actually there!

Role of Facebook in Metaverse:

Nowadays, many companies are trying to create their own virtual worlds and Metaverse, but Facebook has taken it to the next level. They recently changed their name to Meta, saying that they want to become a Metaverse company. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, defined the Metaverse as a virtual space where people can be present with each other in a more immersive way than just a video call. It’s like being in the same room, even if you’re miles apart.

“And you’re going to be able to do almost anything you can imagine. Get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create, and entirely new categories that don’t really fit how we think about computers and phones today.” – Mark Zuckerberg

If it were up to Mark, he would’ve said that you could eat and have bodily functions in the Metaverse itself. Because the more time you spend in the Metaverse, the more data they can collect on you. More they earn. However, we will discuss the potential drawbacks and risks of this concept later in the article. Let’s have a look at How does Metaverse work.

How does Metaverse Work?

Let’s take a look at how does Metaverse work. There are various technologies used to create it. The first technology is Virtual Reality (VR), which already exists today. However, to use VR, you have to wear heavy headsets that can cause headaches and motion sickness if worn for more than half an hour, as many users have claimed. Additionally, the quality of animation in virtual reality games and videos is quite poor with the current level of technology. Nevertheless, it is expected to improve with time. It is also hoped that the headsets will become smaller and slimmer with new technologies, eventually becoming the size of normal glasses, making it as easy to wear and take off as a pair of glasses. Whether this is possible remains to be seen.

The second technology is Augmented Reality (AR), which involves mixing artificial elements with the real world. It is not a complete Virtual Reality experience. A good example of AR is the Pokémon Go smartphone game, where you can use your smartphone to look at the real world around you, but when you look at it through the smartphone, you can see artificial Pokémon mixed in with the real world. Another example is Google Glass, which was released in 2013-14. It was a pair of glasses that allowed you to add virtual elements to the real world. For instance, you could have a map in the corner of your glasses while looking at the road in front of you, and you could even take a picture or video while walking. However, this feature was heavily criticized and mocked, leading to the product being a huge flop.

5G Technology:

Finally, 5G technology is also discussed in the context of the Metaverse. To create a huge virtual world, we would need to constantly upload and download a massive amount of data. For this, we would require extremely high internet speeds, and 5G is the technology that can provide that.

Blockchains and Cryptocurrency:

Blockchains and cryptocurrencies are often discussed in relation to the Metaverse. In the Metaverse, all transactions are digital, so traditional currency cannot be used. Instead, digital currency, such as cryptocurrencies, would be required. Due to the high volume of transactions, security is a major concern. Hackers and data breaches are potential threats, which is where Blockchains come in. Blockchains can be used to keep transactions secure.

Role of NFTs:

If you want to purchase land or any other asset in the Metaverse, you will use NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) to prove ownership. NFTs are tokens that exist on the blockchain and can verify ownership of any digital asset. For example, if you own a particular piece of digital land in the Metaverse, an NFT would prove your ownership.

NFTs are also used to verify tickets to virtual concerts in the Metaverse. Some singers have already performed virtual reality concerts in the Metaverse, where they appear as animated figures on a digital stage. Ariana Grande performed a virtual concert in September 2020. However, creating a true Metaverse that combines all of these elements will take time. After knowing about How does metaverse work let’s talk about in how much time the metaverse will be popular.

Metaverse Popularity:

Mark Zuckerberg has estimated that it could take between 5 to 10 years for the key features of the Metaverse to become mainstream. However, several experts believe that it could take decades before something similar to the Metaverse becomes so popular that the majority of people would be using it. Despite this, many people believe that the Metaverse is inevitable and that it will happen someday. But the question remains: will the Metaverse be successful? Is there a demand for it? Does anyone want it? These are interesting questions to consider. For instance, if we look at technologies like Google Glass, a lot of effort was put into making it popular around 2014. Many celebrities wore it, it was handed out to influencers, and people made tech reviews of it, showing how cool they were.

Google Glasses:

Google Glass, which was released in 2013-14. It was a pair of glasses that allowed you to add virtual elements to the real world. For instance, you could have a map in the corner of your glasses while looking at the road in front of you, and you could even take a picture or video while walking. However, this feature was heavily criticized and mocked, leading to the product being a huge flop.

Why Google Glasses Failed?

The Google Glasses was ultimately a failure due to several reasons. Firstly, its battery life was limited to only 3 hours. Secondly, its appearance was considered odd and unappealing. Thirdly, the device raised privacy concerns as it had a built-in camera. Many places banned the use of Google Glass as it was difficult to determine who was being recorded. Additionally, several countries also prohibited its use. People were not allowed to wear them in certain restaurants and bars.

However, in my opinion, the most significant reason behind the failure of Google Glass was the lack of features that people actually needed. Although it was a futuristic piece of technology, it did not offer any practical benefits. The device was more of a novelty item, and anything that could be done on Google Glass could already be done on a smartphone, and in most cases, better. For instance, tasks such as looking at maps or making video calls were more efficiently done on a smartphone.

Why should we use Metaverse?

You could use Google Glass to take pictures or videos by tapping on the corner of the lens, but why bother when you can simply take out your phone and use it? The truth is, there was hardly any practical use for Google Glass. The same can be said for the Metaverse. It’s exciting to try it out for the first time, to experience a 3D virtual environment, communicate with others, and have 3D meetings.

But realistically, why would you go through all that trouble? Everyone would need to wear the glasses and call each other on the 3D setup. It’s much easier to just take out your phone and have a normal video call. Who would go through all the preparation for it? The same goes for meeting up with friends. You can meet them in person, or if you want to meet virtually, just have a video call or message them. Is there anything special that this 3D world offers that makes it worth all the extra effort?

Importance of User Friendly:

The popularity of technology depends on its ease of use and the benefits it provides to the user. If a technology is difficult to use or doesn’t offer clear benefits, it will struggle to become mainstream. For instance, 3D glasses were once very popular when 3D movies and TVs were in trend. However, people found it bothersome to wear glasses while watching TV, which caused eye strain and headaches. As a result, the popularity of 3D cinema is declining, and people are preferring to watch 2D movies again. This is because the additional benefits of watching a movie in 3D don’t outweigh the discomfort of wearing glasses. Therefore, simplicity is the key to success, and only simple things can become successful. After knowing how does metaverse work let’s talk about the effects of metaverse on our lives.

Effects of Metaverse:

We spend most of our lives in this fake, artificial world. If this virtual world becomes too addictive and immersive, people may stop worrying about the real world. This is truly dystopian and can be very depressing. The book I mentioned earlier, Snow Crash, is actually a dystopian novel that portrays the Metaverse in a negative light. It was not meant to inspire the creation of something similar.

The third problem is specific to Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. There is a threat to privacy and data theft. Facebook tracks you by all possible means and shows you similar content based on the exact pixel you click, the content you like, and the accounts you follow. This creates bubbles, and you remain in your own bubble.

Social media platforms like Facebook show us only the things that we like. This leads to polarization of people and eventually results in riots in the real world. People start fighting over their political affiliations, religious beliefs, and other differences. Facebook was blamed for the genocide in Myanmar due to the spread of hate speech on the platform. With the creation of the Metaverse, this problem will only increase as every movement and word uttered will be tracked to sell ads. The danger lies in the fact that we will only be shown things that we like, leading to a much bigger scale of polarization. Moreover, the Metaverse will be created by one company, making its owner, Mark Zuckerberg, the literal God of the virtual world. This poses a significant threat to our privacy and freedom. Let’s conclude this article about How does Metaverse work.

Conclusion:

If one company gains control over the Metaverse and it becomes widely adopted, with 60% of the world’s population using it for everything, it would be highly unethical and dangerous. What is your opinion on the Metaverse? Do you think it will become popular in the future? In my opinion, certain technologies from the Metaverse will definitely become popular in the future, but they will be popular in their respective sectors. For instance, Augmented Reality (AR) technology has a productive use case in fields such as engineering, architecture, and medicine, where 3D thinking is essential. The use of 3D models can make work more efficient and effective, especially if you can interact with them. I believe these technologies have great potential in various business areas and industries. I hope you have understood “How does Metaverse work.”