Brad, my friend, has always been a fan of sci-fi. He craved superpowers; to be like the superhero in his favorite movie and escape from worldly plight.

The first day he heard about the Metaverse from Mark Zukerberg, he rushed into my room with a mouthful of questions.

In a bid to explain to Brad, I consumed a lot of articles online. But I discovered that they made it all Techy and Bland. It was hard to understand. That's why I named this the "Ultimate guide to understanding the Metaverse."

I put in every question I was asked by brad. I also simplified this for those who haven't heard of it before. If you wish to understand it, you have two options: dive in or dive in.

What does the Metaverse mean?

To help you understand this complex term, I would like you to relate the concept to human personalities.

𝑠𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑚𝑗𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠.

The version of the internet we are using now gives a 2D experience. Just like meeting people for the first time, you are first graced by their appearance and how they talk.

But to get to know their innermost fears, ideas, or dreams they share with us, we have to know their personalities.

People have different personality colours, and those colours are shaped by their experiences. Their personalities(3D experience) help us relate better with them.

The Metaverse is an immersive experience created by the computer. It is an iteration of the internet. Instead of just scrolling through your screen, you could enter it and gain maximum satisfaction.

To access the Metaverse, you need to wear a VR headset. If you are used to playing video games, it gives you that same experience as fighting an alien online. But in this case, it's more because you get to buy things in the virtual world, interact with people, and perform other social activities.

In Metaverse, you get to be represented by an Avatar. An Avatar is a personalized identity that represents a user in the Metaverse.

I have heard of VR, AR, MR, and XR. What do they mean?

Virtual Reality(VR):

It's an immersive experience where one has to put on a headset and operate in the virtual world. Users can walk around in the virtual world as far as they don't bump into things in the physical world.

Like in virtual games, most instructors direct the person physically so they don't bump themselves into the wall.

Augmented Reality(AR):

It's a technology that overlays components of virtual objects into the physical world, but there is usually no interaction between the physical and digital world.

It uses common technology like our mobile phones to enhance the version of the real virtual world by delivering sounds or sensory stimuli.

A common example is the snap chat where filters are being shown over the user's face. The face is first detected by artificial intelligence. Then the filters are overlayed on it to make it look real when a snapshot is taken.

Mixed Reality(MR):

The technology does not only superimpose the digital and physical world, but it's immersive. There is a form of interaction.

In mixed reality, we can see a digital robot patting a person or shaking the person's hand, unlike in virtual reality, where the physical and natural worlds are entirely blocked out.

Extended Reality(XR):

It encompasses the VR, AR, MR, and any technology that alters reality by adding digital elements to the physical world.

Technologies in the metaverse could exist as different things for different companies. Virtual- characterized by a continuous virtual world that exists when you are not playing. Augmented reality- Combining the aspects of the physical world and virtual world. Or mixed reality- an extension of augmented reality that allows natural and virtual elements to interact in an environment.

What Other Forms of Technology are Behind the Metaverse?

Brad complained about his grandma who thinks it's a form of witchcraft. Because how on earth will someone find themselves in another world, making transactions and having meetings with people?

Humans look beyond just the applications of things. We want to learn about the ultimate powerhouse. We want to know what makes a colour purple and how we can recognize it. He was worried that she would prevent him from wearing the VR headset. This was the section I used to calm him down.

Artificial Intelligence:

It enables the computer to perform complex operations which can only be done by humans. The metaverse uses this technology to provide an enhanced experience by combining technologies like 3D animations, VR, blockchain, and so on.

It would also enable image recognition for people with various disabilities and automatic translations. The role of AI is massive.

Internet of Things(IOT):

It's described as a network of physical objects that are embedded with software, sensors, and other technologies that will help in the exchange of data across various users on the internet.

In the metaverse, It would serve as a building block for the metaverse and a massive interconnected world.

Blockchain Technology:

It exists as a structure that stores transactional records(blocks) of the public in chains which are also regarded as databases.

Every transaction is usually authorized with the digital signature of the owner which ensures safety. It is decentralized, which means that it's not controlled by anybody.

The metaverse uses this technology to create a digital world where you can safely interact and perform economic activities just like in the physical world

Web 3.0:

It's a 3rd generation of the internet where applications and websites will be able to process information like humans. It makes use of decentralized ledger technology, big machine learning, e.t.c.

Metaverse reclines at the intersection of virtual/augmented reality and blockchain. Its decentralized feature is gotten from it. That means you will be able to buy virtual spaces or arts and no organization will take them from you

Why is the Metaverse Suddenly a significant Term?

The concept of the Metaverse isn't new. The idea has surfaced in various sci-fi movies and novels. If you enjoy reading sci-fi novels, you must have read about "Ready Player One" or "Snow Crash."

Neal Stephenson coined the term Metaverse in 1992 in his novel "Snow Crash," where his main character, a guy who sells pizza, hangs out in a virtual world.

I understood the whole concept fully after watching "Ready Player One" it was a debut novel by an American author Ernest Cline, Later made into a movie by Stephen Spielberg.

The Story was told through Wade. He was a high school game Fanatic. He spent most of his time in a virtual world created by Halliday.

The world was called the "Oasis". James Halliday's death triggered a treasure hunt. One who finds the treasure —the mystery egg becomes CEO of the Oasis.

The search portrayed everything that could be achieved in the virtual world- making friends, buying gifts, betraying, trusting, and so on.

Aside from fiction, Linden Lab created the Second life, a virtual world launched in 2003. The second life is a social platform that allows people to make their avatar and have a second life in the virtual world. You don't need to wear a Virtual reality headset to enter the second life.

Others include Roblox, Fortnite, e.t.c. Though they are not the perfect definition of the Metaverse, they give an insight into what it means.

Discussions about the metaverse are everywhere because people are now seeing the need for the internet to be reimagined. People want to have great experiences using the internet.

Nobody knows how far it will take to reach that, but companies are already scampering to ensure that they join this great evolution.

What is in the Metaverse for us?

Brad knowing fully well that he could now be like his favourite superhero, wanted to know if there was more to the Metaverse

The truth is, there is still a physical life beyond that VR headset. If there is no way to integrate its benefit, we might want to get back our phone and start scrolling again.

Benefits of the Metaverse

Advanced Learning aid: Unlike everyday theoretical-based learning, the Metaverse offers more. As a medical student, you can learn to perform surgical operations and see tiny blood vessels.

The Metaverse also defied the world of chemistry and geography in that you get to see those complex atoms, study the world map from a more holistic view, and garner great experiences.

Work from Home: The 2020 pandemic brought many changes to the working environment. Many remote jobs kept on rolling in; this created diversity in the market because post-pandemic, they were still on the rice.

The Metaverse is an advanced version of zoom and other e- meet apps. It allows you to participate in meetings and work with your team without being virtually present. In places with high traffic, you wouldn't have to bother about getting the work late.

Commerce: Many big companies are going into the Metaverse because of the promises it has promised to bring in the business and marketing sector.

You can interact with your customers and give them great experiences instead of having to reply to many messages on your Facebook post. You can also invite people to your product launch and get them to be there without missing out on everything.

Entertainment: Imagine feeling lazy to go for a friend's birthday, you can't skip out of your bed, but you would end up feeling bad if you don't go, you could be present at that place from the comfort of your home. That's the good thing about the Metaverse.

I started hearing about NFT in the Metaverse recently. How On earth does it relate to that?

Non Fungible Tokens(NFT) are digital assets. They are regarded as being classic, immutable, unique, and indivisible. They help in representing ownership of digital assets. Now that you have learned the Metaverse and how it blends innovative technologies, this would be a five-star assimilating mood for you.

NFT could help sell real estate in the Metaverse, and it also helps in airdropping special privileges, like getting access to a contract. NFT serves as a gateway into the Metaverse.

How Do I also get to have ownership and earn from the Metaverse? I heard Zukerberg say that.

Participating grants you ownership of part of the metaverse economy. You can earn through:

Stocks:

An excellent way to earn from this remarkable evolution is by buying stocks from companies that are very interested in the Metaverse. These companies include Microsoft, Meta(Formerly known as Facebook), and Epic Corporation.

Real Estate:

You would be surprised to hear that you can also buy virtual lands. If someone said this five years ago, you would have rolled your eyes with disgust or called it an absurdity.

Just like physical lands, buying virtual land is a good investment. You can buy it on decentraland or Sandbox. But if you want to buy through a third party, open Sea is the best option.

Wearables and NFTs:

In the Metaverse, many avatars would use wearables and NFT to differentiate themselves. A typical marketplace to get them is in decentraland. It's best to buy now and sell higher later.

There are also metaverse tokens and in-game currencies.

Does the Metaverse pose a threat to us?

Man is a complex being. As every moment passes by, we search for unique ideas that would pull off any strand of stress from us.

We went from text to pictures, from pictures to videos. Videos to sub immersive networks, and now, we are reaching out to full-time immersive ones.

While we have constantly developed technologies to pull off from reality just like how Brad has always wished for, there is always a positive and negative effect to things.

While the former will help us design a world we wish for, we can choose if the latter's impact would be tremendous or mild.

In a place where people are represented by their avatars. People can pose to be what they are not.

It could also be detrimental because people see it as a way to escape from the real world.

The Metaverse could pose a threat depending on how it's being used. Every technology has its drawbacks but that doesn't mean we shouldn't revel in all that it has to offer.

Is there any other thing you would like to learn about the Metaverse? Let me know in the comment box.