"Snow Crashing Into The Metaverse" from Imaginary Worlds
Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford01/03/23 • 29 min
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This week, we’re sharing an episode of Imaginary Worlds. For the last 30 years, the real world has been catching up to Neal Stephenson’s vision of the future in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, which influenced the creators of Google Earth, Second Life, Oculus Rift and more. Now the centerpiece of the novel, a virtual world called The Metaverse, may become a daily part of our lives thanks to Facebook (renamed Meta) and other big tech companies. In this episode of Imaginary Worlds, host Eric Molinsky explores whether it’s a good idea to use a satirical cyberpunk novel from decades ago as a blueprint for the future.You can hear more episodes of Imaginary Worlds at https://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org
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01/03/23 • 29 min
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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford - "Snow Crashing Into The Metaverse" from Imaginary Worlds
Transcript
Pushkin. Those of you who know your memes may recall the one about the science fiction author who writes a cautionary tale about something called the Torment Nexus, only to have a tech company finding only inspiration in that tale and announcing, at long last, we have created the Torment Nexus. From the classics sci fi novel Don't Create the Torment Nexus. We won't be creating the Torment Nexus this week, but we will be exploring the metaverse. C
"Snow Crashing Into The Metaverse" from Imaginary Worlds Top Questions Answered
What is the metaverse?
The metaverse refers to a virtual and augmented reality platform being developed by Facebook (now Meta) that aims to create immersive digital environments.
How did Snow Crash influence the concept of the metaverse?
Neil Stevenson's science fiction novel, Snow Crash, heavily influenced the development of the metaverse, serving as a design inspiration for technologies like Google Earth, Second Life, YouTube, and Oculus Rift.
Should the metaverse be fully immersive or augmented reality?
There is a debate surrounding the metaverse, with discussions about whether it should be fully immersive or incorporate elements of augmented reality.
What are the ethical implications of building immersive virtual worlds like the metaverse?
The ethical implications of building immersive virtual worlds, such as the metaverse, are being considered, as the technology itself is not inherently emancipatory and can have unintended consequences.
What are the environmental impacts associated with the metaverse?
Discussions about the metaverse raise concerns about environmental impacts, as issues like the digital divide and excessive energy consumption come into play.
How is advertising different in the metaverse compared to traditional methods?
Advertising in the metaverse differs from analog advertising, with new methods to capture attention and engage users in immersive virtual environments.
Is privacy a concern in the metaverse?
Privacy concerns arise in the metaverse, mirroring themes from Snow Crash, such as the use of retina scanning for identification and government data collection.
What role do NFTs play in the development of the metaverse?
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are already being used and inspired by Snow Crash in the development of the metaverse, showcasing the relevance of Neil Stevenson's novels to cutting-edge technology.
Will the future metaverse have its own decentralized currencies and virtual spaces separate from big tech metaverses?
There is a possibility that the future metaverse may feature decentralized currencies and virtual spaces that exist independently from mainstream big tech metaverses.
What challenges arise when creating a new world in a virtual space like the metaverse?
Creating a new world in a virtual space, such as the metaverse, presents similar problems to the real world but amplified in different ways, requiring careful consideration of socio-economic and technological issues.
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