In the last two years, Metaverse（元宇宙）has suddenly become a trending（時尚）topic. Everyone is talking about it but few know what it really means or how it will work. Tech giants like Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Apple are investing big money into the making of it.
So, what exactly is Metaverse?
Is it a 3D model of the Internet? Is it a virtual（虛擬的）universe with endless possibilities we can escape to? Or it is just a fancy way of defining XR, that is, Extended Reality（延展實境）?
To put it simply, Metaverse is an integrated network of 3D virtual world. It is a place parallel to the physical world where you spend your digital life, a place where you and other people have an “avatar” （虛擬化身）. An “avatar” is an icon representing you in a video game or internet forum. You interact with other people through their avatars.
However, the answer to “What is Metaverse?” is not simple. It is because there is no Metaverse as of now. And no one knows what it will be in the future.
Where did the word come from?
The word “metaverse” was coined by author Neal Stephenson in his 1992 sci-fi novel Snow Crash. It is a combination of two words “meta-“ and “verse”. The word “meta-“ means “beyond” while “-verse” comes from the word “universe”.
In his novel, Stephenson referred to Metaverse as the ultimate（最终的）evolution（進化）of the internet. It is a kind of virtual reality where any virtual interaction（互動）can have a direct impact on the real world too. In other word, the digital world exists parallel to the real world. In Metaverse, people will be able to do everything they do in real life.
How to go into Metaverse?
Today, experts still aren’t sure if the Metaverse IRL could evolve into something similar. It’s still early days. The idea still needs a lot of work. Some experts believe we will live in Metaverse by 2030.
In order to go into Metaverse, one will have to put on VR goggles specifically designed for the purpose. The headset will function as a gateway into the virtual space of Metaverse. Users navigate Metaverse using their eye movements, feedback controllers or voice commands. A popular conception（構想）of Metaverse is that a VR-based world independent of our physical one where people can socialize and engage in a seemingly unlimited variety of virtual experiences, all supported with its own digital economy.But Metaverse is still constantly developing, so there is every possibility that it will be much grander and more immersive（身臨其境）by the time it becomes a reality than how it is being imagined today.
