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> Can someone please define 'metaverse' in the context of... whatever this article is about? Personally, I dislike the term and I believe that it causes people
by sombremesa 5y ago
> Can someone please define 'metaverse' in the context of... whatever this article is about?
Personally, I dislike the term and I believe that it causes people to lose credibility when they use it. However, I can define it to some extent.
Consider the term 'universe' in the context of 'a particular sphere of activity, interest, or experience'. For example, the 'Harry Potter universe'.
The 'metaverse' is simply such a 'universe' that you can't really opt out of, because it's a layer on top of, rather than distinct from, the regular old world. This is why AR is often considered to be such an intrinsic aspect of it.
Now, you might say that 'the internet' is just such a metaverse, but it isn't because it doesn't benefit the people who peddle the buzzword.
- tomc1985 5y agoI guess I don't get what's so meta about it. We're not talking about a universe that describes universes. Metaphysics = the physics of physics Metascience = studying science itself with science Metaphilosophy = Philosophy about philosophy itself Metadata = data describing data Gaming 'meta' = the game of how to best play the game 'Meta' is one of those ultra-abstract terms that obfuscates the meaning of whatever word it is attached to unless the listener gives or has given the word a fair amount of thought. Ah, then maybe that is why it is being used here.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- heisenzombie 5y agoI think that in the context of AR they actually are trying to talk about "universes that describe a universe". A "metaverse" is a "universe" in the sense that it's a shared 4D spacetime that you can explore (using some technology to give you a window into it). It's "meta" because it's layered on top of our "base universe": It's there to describe and augment the physical universe we exist in. For example: If, in your vision (via glasses, or a HUD, or a pane of glass or a brain implant), there's a big 3D arrow hovering above a road then the arrow exists in the "metaverse" and the road exists in the physical universe that the metaverse is describing.
- skissane 5y ago> Metaphysics = the physics of physics Metaphysics isn't really the "physics of physics" though. It is part of philosophy, not physics. It isn't even the "philosophy of physics", since that names a branch of philosophy distinct from metaphysics (albeit they do have some points of overlap.) This is an example of where the meaning of a term is different from the sum of its parts. The philosophical implications of quantum theory (and its interpretations) is one part of the philosophy of physics, but the study of those implications go beyond just metaphysics proper and also extends to other areas of philosophy such as the philosophy of mind, epistemology, the philosophy of logic, etc. Conversely, there are some debates in metaphysics with which contemporary philosophy of physics doesn't concern itself with much, such as the relationship between existence and essence, or the problem of universals.
- bawolff 5y agoThe definition of meta has changed over time. My understanding is it got the current "abstract" "thing aboout itself" definition long after the term "metaphysics" was coined, which probably originally meant "things we don't have a good name for but should probably file after the stuff about physics"
- rnhmjoj 5y agoExactly, I believe the term comes from Aristotele's work "τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικά", literally "the after the physics", which may have just had a very practical meaning: writings that come after the physics writings.
- Grustaf 5y agoWhy wouldn't you be able to opt out of some AR world? I thought metaverse just meant Second Life 2.0.
- sombremesa 5y agoYou're right, that wasn't the best choice of words. I just meant that it would be difficult to ignore or be uninfluenced by it, at least if there were able to exist "THE metaverse" rather than several fragmented attempts.