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(490)

Iraq's parliament starts off on wrong foot; the US-Palestine relationship

Iraq's parliament starts off on wrong foot; the US-Palestine relationship

The first day of Iraq's new parliament was a chaotic one. Where does the new government go from here? Also, the US administration is proposing a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but it's one...

5 Sep 201818min

How does Caspian Sea demarcation affect Iran?

How does Caspian Sea demarcation affect Iran?

The Caspian Sea is the biggest enclosed body of water on earth, but depending who you ask, it’s either the largest lake in the world or a small inland sea. Either way, it has been a source of conflic...

29 Aug 201819min

The view from Hajj; Rohingya refugee update

The view from Hajj; Rohingya refugee update

This week Beyond the Headlines hosts two interviews from two different corners of the Muslim world — celebration at Hajj, and an update on the ongoing Rohingya crisis.  In Makkah, where over two mill...

22 Aug 201823min

Why the Strait of Hormuz is so important

Why the Strait of Hormuz is so important

Maritime oil trade from the Arabian Peninsula relies exclusively on two strategic chokepoints: The Strait of Hormuz, to the UAE’s north, and Bab Al Mandeb to the south. Despite efforts to diversify t...

15 Aug 201814min

The importance of the Bab Al Mandeb strait

The importance of the Bab Al Mandeb strait

The Bab-el-Mandeb strait is just 18 miles wide, but a large slice of global trade passes through its vital waters every day. To its north is a war zone in Yemen, and to its south sits Djibouti, a tiny...

8 Aug 201817min

Fake news in the Middle East with the BBC's Jamie Angus

Fake news in the Middle East with the BBC's Jamie Angus

Today we’re bringing you an interview with Jamie Angus, director of the BBC World Service Group. He spoke to The National’s Nick Webster in our Abu Dhabi studio about the BBC’s efforts to curb the pro...

2 Aug 201812min

Who is Imran Khan?

Who is Imran Khan?

The newly elected prime minister in Pakistan is not a new name in the country. Imran Khan has led he country to cricket glory and been a longtime politician and philanthropist, and last week won a con...

1 Aug 201825min

Iraq protests threaten long-sought stability

Iraq protests threaten long-sought stability

It was looking like Iraq was turning the corner last year, after defeating ISIS and garnering more confidence from its Arab neighbors. But recent protests that have left more than 800 wounded and 11 d...

25 Jul 201826min

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