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?

Avsnitt(488)

The Blast Episode 3: Zero hour (Re-run)

The Blast Episode 3: Zero hour (Re-run)

Ghassan Hassrouty was working with his colleagues at the port’s grain silos. Sarah Copland, an Australian UN employee, was feeding her son Isaac, 2. And then, it’s zero hour, the moment the blast tore...

28 Juli 202527min

The Blast Episode 2: The six-year wait (Re-run)

The Blast Episode 2: The six-year wait (Re-run)

After the cargo was moved to a warehouse at the port, it sat there for years. This episode connects the dots to understand why the chemical, commonly used in fertilisers and explosives, was neglected ...

28 Juli 202531min

The Blast Episode 1: The Russian and the Rhosus (Re-run)

The Blast Episode 1: The Russian and the Rhosus (Re-run)

In the summer of 2020, Lebanon had already been experiencing some of its worst days, due to a deepening financial crisis and the global pandemic. On August 4, things took a much darker turn. Hundreds ...

28 Juli 202528min

The enduring consequences of mass starvation in Gaza

The enduring consequences of mass starvation in Gaza

Hunger has killed more than 110 people so far in Gaza over the past 20 months of war. And in the past week, the number of deaths has accelerated, causing alarm about a looming full-scale famine in the...

25 Juli 202523min

Is Israel exploiting distrust between Syria’s Druze and Damascus?

Is Israel exploiting distrust between Syria’s Druze and Damascus?

The city of Sweida in southern Syria became a battleground this week after a series of retaliatory attacks between Druze militiamen and Bedouin tribes escalated. President Ahmad Al Shara's government ...

18 Juli 202521min

What is the cost of ending the war in Gaza?

What is the cost of ending the war in Gaza?

The toll of war is often measured in figures: the number of people killed, injured or displaced. But how do we calculate the cost of ending a war? In the case of Gaza, where Israel continues to pursue...

11 Juli 202523min

Does the easing of US sanctions on Syria come with strings attached?

Does the easing of US sanctions on Syria come with strings attached?

During a visit to the Gulf in May, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he would revoke sanctions on Syria. This week, he kept that promise. He signed an executive order on Mond...

4 Juli 202521min

How did Israel and Iran go from strategic allies to bitter enemies?

How did Israel and Iran go from strategic allies to bitter enemies?

After 12 days of war between Israel and Iran, a ceasefire has brought a sense of cautious relief to the region. Even after almost 21 months of war in Gaza and its spillover into neighbouring countries...

27 Juni 202527min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

svenska-fall
aftonbladet-krim
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
flashback-forever
spar
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-krimreportrarna
politiken
motiv
rss-flodet
rss-frandfors-horna
olyckan-inifran
rss-vad-fan-hande
grans
krimmagasinet
aftonbladet-daily
rss-aftonbladet-krim
blenda-2
spotlight