What is the Metaverse?

On July 28th , Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would transition from a social media company to a metaverse company, sparking a renewed interest in the topic. But what Is the metaverse and why is it being being hyped as the next big technological disruption?

In simple terms, the metaverse is the convergence of physical, augmented and virtual reality into a shared online space. Just like we have a physical persona that exists in the real world, we also have a digital persona which exists on the internet (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)

Can the Metaverse Improve Medicine?

The metaverse hopes to expand your existence in a virtual world where your opportunities are less limited than here in the physical world. It hopes to remove the finite nature and barriers of the real world. Now, that doesn't mean you will exist in two completely different worlds like seen in the Matrix.
Many of our children already adopted the concept of a secondary existence in a virtual. Not only can they outfit their avatar with the Air Jordans they can’t get in the real world, they have the opportunity to exchange ideas, creativity, emotional intelligence, and ultimately dream with billions of people instead of being victim to real world barriers including borders, language and socioeconomic factors.

As Zuckerberg said, it's a virtual environment where you can be present with people in digital spaces. You can kind of think about this as being ‘inside the internet’ versus  just looking at it on a screen. Facebook or Meta suggests it means that instead of interacting with your friends, co-workers or even your surgeon online, you can interact with them as respective digital avatars using a virtual reality headset or any other device that puts you inside the virtual environment.

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From virtual gaming centers to corner cafes, the Metaverse is the new bandwagon on which tech companies are jumping on. Apart from Facebook, Microsoft computer graphics and video and Epic Games are also exploring the metaverse space. Although it is still unclear what shape Metaverse will finally take, the complexity of the technology means it won't reach the final stages any time soon. After all, even virtual and augmented reality are in their early stages. Like with previous technological disruptions, it will be interesting to see how the metaverse will impact our lives and I, of course, have a vested interested in the changes and improvements it might bring to orthopedics and medicine.

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We can’t get into that too far without discussing more details about virtual reality, AI, augmented reality, decentralized blockchain, NFTs…you get the idea.

Metaverse Summary

The metaverse promises to be an ever-present spatial internet complete with personalized digital experiences that spans both physical and virtual worlds, where everything and everyone can communicate and interact seamlessly. We’ll access the metaverse through any computing device–smartphone, PC, AR/VR device, etc.–as a portal to a virtual presence that mirrors aspects of real life. We can shop, explore, create, socialize, and participate in a wide variety of communities, daily experiences and economic activities. More to come – join the discussion.

Cory Calendine, MD Discusses Meta and Osso VR

Interested in Metaverse Innovation, VR, AR, AI - Let's Connect

Dr. Cory Calendine is a fellowship-trained joint replacement surgeon specializing in the treatment of arthritis and other degenerative joint conditions of the hip and knee. Through extensive training and experience, he has developed an expertise in joint replacement surgeries including total knee replacement, partial knee replacement, anterior and posterior hip replacement, and hip resurfacing procedures. Subscribe for patient education updates and news on hip and knee conditions, treatments and surgical solutions. CONTACT Cory Calendine, MD, (615) 791-2630