\u201cIt\u2019s an embodied Internet that you\u2019re inside rather than just looking at,\u201d said Facebook\u2019s creator Mark Zuckerberg in defining the metaverse. Since he announced the rebranding of his company to Meta, this concept has been all around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nonetheless, the idea is nothing new. It has been around for over thirty years, as the expression was first coined by Neal Stephenson in the science fiction novel \u201cSnow Crash\u201d. Using this term, the author referred to an online world where humans could escape the meat space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the word\u2019s etymology better clarifies the concept. Meta derives from ancient Greek and means beyond. Aristoteles himself referred to metaphysics as something that goes far beyond what is physical. Verse is an abbreviation of universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is a virtual reality space existing alongside the physical world, accessible through the internet. <\/p> <\/div>
People can meet, interact, and engage in various activities, from business and education related to mere socializing.<\/p> <\/div>
The Metaverse became a trend after the head of Facebook announced the rebranding of all of his companies to Meta. At the same time, he announced the development of a platform where to share immersive experiences in 3D and in the physical world. <\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n
Behind the development of the metaverse, there\u2019s the growing popularity of virtual reality<\/a> (VR) and augmented reality<\/a> (AR) technologies. VR is a computer-generated representation of a 3D environment. People immerse themselves in a digital world using visors, headsets, and handheld controllers to view and interact with the scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than escaping into a new world, AR creates a new version of reality. AR indeed overlays digital information and graphics onto the physical world. Smartphones, special glasses, and headsets superimpose this data, showing an enhanced version of reality. An example comes from the recent Football World Cup, where fans at the stadium could see in real-time further data about the ongoing match through their smartphone’s camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n