Seriously, What Is the Metaverse?
Uncanny Valley | WIRED30 Kesä 2022

Seriously, What Is the Metaverse?

Technologists have been crowing about “the metaverse” for a long time now, and here at WIRED we’ve written about it quite a bit, too. But sometimes we’re still unsure exactly how to define this next generation of the internet, which is contingent on 3D experiences (instead of the flat, 2D screens we’re currently glued to) and also a persistent, continuous federated identity. Still confused? It’s OK: On this week’s Gadget Lab, we talk to Matthew Ball, a strategist, venture capitalist, and author, whose new book The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything, hits shelves July 19.

We ask Ball how he defines the metaverse, how the internet can possibly be reinvented when the current version is so driven by corporate interests, whether the metaverse should be regulated, and what a realistic vision of “interoperability” might be.

Show Notes

Matthew Ball’s book is The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything. Read Gilad’s June cover story about Web3. Follow all of WIRED’s metaverse coverage here.

Recommendations

Matthew recommends the show The Old Man on FX and the legal podcast about the US Supreme Court Strict Scrutiny. Gilad recommends trying out an electric car sometime. Lauren recommends the 5-4 podcast, also about analyzing the Supreme Court.

Matthew Ball can be found on Twitter @ballmatthew. Gilad Edelman is @GiladEdelman. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(426)

Trump Davos Drama; AI Midterms; ChatGPT's Last Resort

Trump Davos Drama; AI Midterms; ChatGPT's Last Resort

Welcome back to Uncanny Valley! This week, WIRED’s Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger are joining the show as the new co-hosts, alongside Zoë Schiffer. And our attention has been on the drama going down in...

22 Tammi 36min

BIG INTV: Wikipedia's Founder on Holding the Line in a Post Fact World

BIG INTV: Wikipedia's Founder on Holding the Line in a Post Fact World

Katie sits down with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales talks about what it means to build something used by billions of people that’s not optimized for growth at all costs. Jimmy reflected on Wikipedia’s ...

20 Tammi 58min

BIG INTV: Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to ‘Stand Up’

BIG INTV: Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to ‘Stand Up’

The LinkedIn cofounder and frequent Trump target, Reid Hoffman has a simple message for his peers: “Just speak up about the things that you think are true.”Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny V...

13 Tammi 51min

BIG INTV: Margaret Atwood on Doomscrolling: ‘I Want to Keep Up With the Latest Doom’

BIG INTV: Margaret Atwood on Doomscrolling: ‘I Want to Keep Up With the Latest Doom’

On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood talks about Elon Musk, political resistance, and why she still has hope for America’s future.Join WIRED’...

6 Tammi 54min

BIG INTV: CTO Elizabeth Stone On The Future of Netflix: “Personalized, Interactive, Immersive”

BIG INTV: CTO Elizabeth Stone On The Future of Netflix: “Personalized, Interactive, Immersive”

Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone is an anomaly. Instead of coding, she spent her twenties getting a PhD in economics. She quietly rose through the ranks in Silicon Valley and is now responsible for leading...

23 Joulu 202542min

WIRED Roundup: The Five Tech and Politics Trends That Shaped 2025

WIRED Roundup: The Five Tech and Politics Trends That Shaped 2025

For better or for worse, this year had it all — from the AI industry shaping the global economy and our lives, to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) taking over U.S federal agenc...

19 Joulu 202531min

Introducing A New Chapter for Uncanny Valley

Introducing A New Chapter for Uncanny Valley

As the year draws to an end, Mike and Lauren have some news to share with listeners. But first, they head over to the pool to unwind and reflect on what they’ll be watching for in the tech space this ...

18 Joulu 202525min

BIG INTV: AWS CEO Matt Garman Doesn’t Think AI Should Replace Junior Devs

BIG INTV: AWS CEO Matt Garman Doesn’t Think AI Should Replace Junior Devs

The head of Amazon Web Services has big plans to offer AI tools to businesses, but says that replacing coders with AI is “a non-starter for anyone who's trying to build a long-term company.” Katie sit...

16 Joulu 202545min