Virtual Society - The Metaverse and the New Frontiers of Human Experience

Informationen zum Autor Herman Narula is the co-founder and CEO of Improbable, a London-based technology company. He holds a computer science degree from Cambridge. Klappentext “A fascinating, provocative case that the metaverse will not merely transform our virtual experience—it may actually enrich the quality of our lives” (Adam Grant)—from the visionary co-founder of one of today’s most innovative technology companies “This important book offers a highly persuasive argument that the metaverse, a new kind of virtual world, marks a profound next stage in this long human quest for fulfillment through creation.”—Chris Anderson, head of TED The concept of “the metaverse” has exploded in the public consciousness, but its contours remain elusive. Is it merely an immersive virtual reality playground, one that Facebook and other platforms will angle to control? Is it simply the next generation of massive multiplayer online games? Or is it something more revolutionary? As pioneering technologist Herman Narula shows, the metaverse is the latest manifestation of an ancient human tendency: the act of worldbuilding. From the Egyptians, whose conception of death inspired them to build the pyramids, to modern-day sports fans, whose passion for a game inspires extreme behavior, humans have long sought to supplement their day-to-day lives with a rich diversity of alternative experiences. Rooting his vision in history and psychology, Narula argues that humans’ intrinsic need for autonomy, accomplishment, and connection can best be met in virtual “worlds of ideas,” where users have the chance to create and exchange meaning and value. The metaverse is both the growing set of fulfilling digital experiences—ranging from advanced gaming to concerts and other entertainment events and even to virtual employment—and the empowering framework that allows these spaces to become “networks of useful meaning.” Bloomberg Intelligence recently predicted that the metaverse will become an $800 billon industry by 2024. But its implications, argues Narula, will lead to far more awe-inspiring possibilities than a spigot of cash. The arrival of the metaverse marks the beginning of a new age of exploration—not outward, but inward—with the potential to reshape society and open the door to a new understanding of the human species and its capabilities. Rigorously researched and passionately argued, Virtual Society is a provocative and essential guide for anyone who wants to go beyond superficial headlines to understand the true contours and potential of our virtual future. Leseprobe Chapter 1 Ancient Metaverses In present-­day Turkey, amid the rocky plains of Southeastern Anatolia, juts a monument, thirty meters in diameter, of immense age. The T-­shaped limestone structures dotting this ancient hillside, some standing as tall as five and a half meters, are set around enclosures and painstakingly carved with depictions of animals. More than 240 of these structures have been uncovered by archaeologists, who, as of this writing, have excavated a tiny percentage of the full site, which is known as Göbekli Tepe. Taken together or separately, the megaliths serve today as a dispatch from the Neolithic: a barely scrutable glimpse of our past that still offers a relevant lesson for our future. When this monument was erected more than 10,000 years ago, the place from which I write here in southwest England had barely tasted freedom from continent-­scale ice sheets. Woolly mammoths still clung to existence, and agriculture had not yet been widely adopted. Yet in this alien world of near prehistory, at least 6,000 years before Stonehenge was built, primitive humans constructed a series of extraordinary stone megaliths and decorated them with elaborate carvings. Why were these structures built? In the context of their era, there was no earthly re...

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I ve long been fascinated by how technology can be used to augment the human experience. Herman Narula s brilliant book shows how the nascent metaverse has the potential to do that in ways we re just beginning to appreciate. He makes a case that virtual worlds are the latest manifestation of an ancient human drive to enrich our day-to-day lives. This is an important book brimming with big and convincing arguments about where human life is heading. Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive

A fascinating, provocative case that the metaverse will not merely transform our virtual experiences it may actually enrich the quality of our lives. If the best way to predict the future is to build it, Herman Narula is holding quite the crystal ball. In this book, he gives you a look inside and establishes himself as a thought leader on the future of humanity and technology. Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

Too often, technologists propose a grand vision of the future without much considering the past. I am delighted to see that this is not the case with Herman Narula. His highly impressive book Virtual Society weaves together perspectives of human history and psychology, placing new developments in digital technology within them. The course he charts for the metaverse is one to be taken seriously. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Renn, director, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

The evolution of the internet into a metaverse of virtual worlds marks a profound shift in our society. Herman Narula s brilliant new book lays out the most intellectually rigorous case for why this is happening, arguing that what we call the metaverse is the latest manifestation of an ancient human drive to build worlds of meaning that complement our physical surroundings. This mind-expanding, vitally important book blows through superficial takes, showing us where we might be heading. Marc Andreessen, co-founder and general partner, Andreessen Horowitz

Product details

• Authors: Herman Narula
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 11.10.2022
• EAN: 9780593594018
• ISBN: 978-0-593-59401-8
• No. of pages: 288
• Dimensions: 140 mm x 209 mm x 20 mm
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Business > Individual industrial sectors, branches; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Future Studies, SCIENCE / Philosophy & Social Aspects, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Social Aspects, Information technology industries, Social forecasting, future studies, Impact of science & technology on society, Impact of science and technology on society, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Technology Studies