The world is closer than ever before to the stage of full virtual life; That life that Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, called “the metaverse” or “the metaphysical world.” Instead of human interactions being realistic and tangible through physical convergence, or immaterial and imperceptible through digital convergence through smartphone screens and computers, there will be a third way that bridges the gap between these two worlds (real and digital), so that a virtual third world appears that takes from reality. Something, and from the Internet and smart technologies other things and characteristics. Thus, questions such as; What is this new life like? Will Mark Zuckerberg succeed in creating it? What are the limits of distinguishing between it and the real world? How will it affect human civilization and human urbanization? There are many questions, some of which may have current answers, while others are still unknown, which is what this analysis seeks to clarify.
The third dimension of the Internet:
The term metaverse was first used by “Neil Stevenson” in the 1992 science fiction novel “Snow Crash”. The word consists of two syllables; The first is Meta, which is the new name that Facebook has changed to, and means “beyond”, and the second syllable Verse, which comes as an abbreviation of the word Universe, meaning “world,” and the two words together mean “the world beyond.” In his novel, Neil Stephenson meant the corporate-owned virtual world, where end-users are treated as citizens living in a “corporate dictatorship”.
Through metaverse, Mark Zuckerberg seeks to create a virtual world, bridging the gap between the real and digital worlds, thus creating a virtual third world, in which individuals can create a virtual life for them across different areas of the Internet, allowing them to meet, work, education and entertainment within it, while providing An experience that allows them not only to watch remotely through smart devices, as is currently happening but to enter this world in a three-dimensional form through virtual reality technologies.
Through the use of virtual and augmented reality glasses, wearing jackets and jumps equipped with sensors, the user can live an almost real experience, in which these smart technologies act as a mediator between users in the world of “metaverse”, to convey the feeling of a physical sensation, so that the user can see things around him in an image Through the glasses, he can feel physical stimuli, such as the feeling of falling into the water or being punched in the face, or others, through the sensors in the jackets and the jumps he wears, so he gets a more realistic experience, even if it is indirect.
Endless uses:
“metaverse” is an optional world, built according to the desires of its users, so individuals can create their world. Zuckerberg has divided it so far into 3 worlds or horizons, as he called them, which are “Horizons Home” or “Horizons Work” Horizon Workrooms and “Horizons Worlds”.
Within the “Home Horizons”, the user can create a virtual copy that matches his original home, and he can roam in it by simply wearing virtual reality glasses, and then he can invite his colleagues through the metaverse to spend time together inside the house, watch a soccer match, or even study Lessons and revision.
Likewise, co-workers can create their own space within the metaverse. They can go to work just by wearing a VR headset, complete tasks, participate in meetings and even take a mid-day break with work friends, all without even leaving the house.
Users can also create other worlds of their own, such as attending concerts, watching a movie, or playing a favorite sport, without leaving home; It provides them with a unique experience in which they share group moments without acknowledging spatial or geographic boundaries.
Not only that, but it is also possible to shop inside the metaverse, and choose food goods from inside the supermarket and pay for them via credit card in a three-dimensional experience as if the user is already inside a store, and clothes can be measured and ensured that they are suitable for the user, through the design of “Avatar” The same measurements as the user and simulate the experience of wearing clothes on it.
The experience of the world of metaverse goes beyond education to be richer, for example, it provides students interested in studying space, oceans, geology or history, an opportunity to simulate these worlds in a three-dimensional image, and thus they can go to the moon, one of the solar planets, or even the sun itself, and also they can Going to the depths of the oceans or the interior of the earth, or even going back to one of the historical times and simulating the ways of living in them. With the entry of artificial intelligence systems into programming the characters of these factors, the user can live an almost real experience.
A way to overcome the challenges of remote work
This is the biggest advantage of working in the metaverse. When telecommuting, users often complain that they are unable to read body language and communicate effectively. Managers struggle to maintain visibility over team productivity. And, due to the prolonged absence of in-person interactions, there is a risk of disengagement. The metaverse creates an immersive virtual workplace where 3D avatars of employees can work together just like in the real world.
Some tasks and business problems are better tackled visually, but it is simply not possible in the real world. For example, architects might want to design and draw up multiple detailed mock-ups before finalising a direction. However, there are time and cost constraints, and often, errors are overlooked due to the lack of precision. The metaverse gives you a space where you can 3D-model virtually anything, and real-world specifications can be replicated via digital twin technology. This enables smarter problem-solving in industries like construction, architecture, healthcare, life sciences, and more.
In the end, it remains to say that Facebook has previously tried to introduce new concepts and technologies, such as the “Libra” currency, and artificial intelligence projects that did not see the light, some of which failed and were already ended. The metaverse project is also one of the promising projects, But it is still being tested like other unrealized projects. Even if the metaverse project is completed within 5 years from now, as Facebook seeks, this development will be met with resistance from the traditional human current, which rejects this exaggerated speed of development, and values traditional life in many aspects.
