What is the metaverse and can it replace the real world?

What is the metaverse and can it replace the real world?

The idea of a virtual world existing in parallel to the real one was once the stuff of science fiction. But today, millions of people are already spending hours a day in virtual spaces and spending billions of dollars on things that simply don’t exist in a physical environment.

When Facebook changed its name to Meta last year and rebranded itself as a “metaverse company”, what was once a controversial idea among tech enthusiasts came crashing into the mainstream. Now, the company and others like it are betting big that we will all be spending more and more time in the metaverse - doing everything from socialising and playing games with friends, to exercising and working remotely. On this week's Beyond The Headlines, host Arthur Scott-Geddes asks: what is the metaverse and is it really about to replace the real world?

Episoder(491)

What’s at stake in Turkey’s election run-off?

What’s at stake in Turkey’s election run-off?

Hope, disappointment, joy and confusion are some of the emotions Turks felt after a rollercoaster election day.   In the vote on May 14, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scored 49.51 per cent, just shy ...

19 Mai 20238min

The significance of Syria’s return to the Arab League

The significance of Syria’s return to the Arab League

Syria’s devastating civil war has raged for more than 12 years. In that time, Half a million people have been killed, by some estimates. Three million have been left with a disability. And half of the...

12 Mai 202322min

King Charles coronation: What to expect from the day and the new king?

King Charles coronation: What to expect from the day and the new king?

Millions of people in the UK and around the whole world are preparing for a rare weekend indeed, with a new king to be crowned. On May 6, the coronation of King Charles III will be held at Westminster...

2 Mai 202316min

Sudan’s refugee crisis

Sudan’s refugee crisis

Life for many in Sudan has become intolerable. People have been trapped in their own homes by two weeks of fighting and failed ceasefires. Disruptions to power, the internet, water supplies and food h...

27 Apr 202312min

Why has Sudan erupted in violence?

Why has Sudan erupted in violence?

Khartoum has been hit by days of fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force. As the death toll rises, people have been forced to shelter from the violence, and food, wate...

19 Apr 202314min

How the Saudi-Iran reconciliation could transform the Middle East

How the Saudi-Iran reconciliation could transform the Middle East

Can a handshake transform a region?   After long years of tension, Saudi Arabia and Iran decided in March to normalise diplomatic relations. Weeks later, the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers met fa...

14 Apr 202314min

How rising living costs are affecting Arab households in Ramadan

How rising living costs are affecting Arab households in Ramadan

Nothing says Ramadan more than joyous gatherings of family and friends, dining tables heaving with delicacies as the sun sets.   But this Ramadan, many people are struggling to make ends meet, with th...

7 Apr 202313min

Why Netanyahu’s judicial reforms brought Israel to a halt

Why Netanyahu’s judicial reforms brought Israel to a halt

On March 27, Israel ground to a halt in protest at a set of judicial reforms put forward by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right wing coalition.   Demonstrations had been rumbling for weeks...

31 Mar 202317min

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