Presenting a new study: The 4 Epochs of the Metaverse
A few days ago, a paper titled "The 4 Epochs of the Metaverse" caught my attention. This comprehensive study traces the genesis of the Metaverse concept, reaching back in time well before the widely acclaimed "Snow Crash," often hailed as the inception of the Metaverse as an idea.
source: Bing Creator
Outlined within the paper are pivotal milestones categorized into four distinct periods, as the title suggests "The 4 Epochs of the Metaverse."
So, what are the four epochs of the Metaverse, and what significant milestones are included in each period? When did it all begin?
According to the researchers, the epochs are the below:
.1. Epoch of Ideas (1905-2009)9537: This period starts at the point when a parallel world was an idea and ends with the release of the movie "Avatar" in 2009. The authors of the paper consider the beginning to be a book called "A Modern Utopia" and a few others that introduced to the public a concept of virtual worlds.
source: 
(public domain)
Significant milestones include the novels "A Modern Utopia", "The Machine Stops", "Pygamalion's Spectacles", and "Otherland", as well as the publication of "Mirror Worlds" and the theory of "Digital Twins". The list of milestones is completed with the early videogame "Habitat" and the movie "Avatar".
2. Epoch of Definitions (1982-2011): In this period, the metaverse is described in detail, showcasing the capabilities and benefits of its users. This Epoch starts with the movie "Tron" in 1982. Important roles in this Epoch play the "Snow Crash" book and of course the movie "The Matrix" that is still considered a classic. This Epoch extends until 2011, with the launch of "Ready Player One".
.3. Epoch of Foundation & Experimentation (1962-present): This period is divided into two sub-epochs: Epoch of Foundation (1962-present) and Epoch of Experimentation (1993-present). As time progresses, technology comes to life and progressively "leans towards the realization of a full metaverse".
Important achievements have been realized and have become available to people, in the form of platforms and games. The launch of blockchain technologies, the implementation of smart contracts and the fast adoption of avatars and social interactions have become a reality.
Especially with the recent, so quickly widespread AI advancements, the applications have become easier reachable and more user-friendly.
4. Metaverse Epoch: Period Undefined: This period is not yet here. It is characterized by the ongoing development and evolution of the Metaverse both as a concept and in the form of the underlying, merging technologies. During this period, a complete, user-friendly, and accessible to all Metaverse will be implemented. The Metaverse of this epoch will have more purposes and offer more innovative approaches. New professions, new technologies, new skills and many applications will launch that will go beyond the entertainment scope.
Conclusion:
The Metaverse has always been an exciting concept and it will eventually transform the way we live, work, and interact with each other. This paper challenges previous linear expressed timelines and takes an innovative approach with parallel epochs in a timeline that starts in 1909, while the Metaverse today is not yet completed.
As technology continues to advance and many technologies are blending together, we are all excited to see what the future holds.
How will the Metaverse evolve, and when will it, in fact, be considered "complete"?
How will our future be shaped and how will this extra power be used?
It's definitely thrilling. Does it also scare you? Or, how does this make you feel?
References: Ioannıdıs, S. & Kontis, A. -. P. (). The 4 Epochs of the Metaverse . Journal of Metaverse , 3 (2) , 152-165 . DOI: 10.57019/jmv.1294970
https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/jmv/issue/75916/1294970
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I might be exaggerating but it's so scary to think that metaverse the online world will be more active than offline world.
Tech is supposed to make some stuff in life easier, not replacing life itself. Like I support cell phones because they actually improve the human condition (quick communication, take pictures, more information)
I don’t like the metaverse because it’s too invasive and changes our perception of reality.
It is really scary to think about it.
But think that if there is proper use (just hoping here), there will be no distances. We will be able to interact together from all over the world.
Endless possibilities .. but will good things be realized? Apparently evil prevails in our current world. Will that change in the Metaverse?
Sure the general idea of a metaverse is interesting and has potential. If metaverse becomes popular car travel will be reduced and the environment will get better.
Like the current web, there will be people who use it for good and those who use it for evil, only time will tell.
"I value my privacy and don't want my data to be exposed to these multi-billion-dollar companies. Knowing this, I wouldn't use this. Now, imagine a data breach on a metaverse this big with the data of billions of people. Also if you think mobile/internet addiction is a big problem we're facing in our generation, imagine what kind of addictions the metaverse is going to bring in the upcoming future.
I never knew there was such a huge history behind the metaverse all I knew about the metaverse was that facebook/instagram and all its subsidiaries are known as meta some how that is all I knew about it.
Informative posting
I didn't know anything about metaverse until now
Thanks for sharing this great information with us
I'm grateful
At times we should pause and stare at the pace technology is really moving so fast and fast and I must confess it is scary for the future of technology
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I'm unsure as to whether I like the idea of the metaverse or not. I watched a video on YouTube a while ago called Hyper-reality (link below in case you haven't seen it - I can't remember, but it could be nsfw because of low level swearing, so just be cautious if you do decide to watch it) and was blown away by the possibility of how pervasive technology is likely to become.
It did also get me thinking along the lines of are we already there, just minus the augmentation. Do we already rely on technology too much? Then, further to that, how much is too much? If technology is actually improving our lives, does it really matter how much we use it?
There are so many aspects in this!
We really need take under consideration the new generation too. We have learned to do things in certain ways, they are already learning how easy everything is, that we can simply scroll and do nothing all day, and that we dont have to think too much because the computer will do everything for us.
I think that the best we can do, is be as more prepared and with as much knowledge as possible. Not much else we can do, as technology is moving too fast already..
This is a very good point - I didn't really take this into account in my previous reply, but can see what you're saying - for the younger generation who don't know any different, the metaverse is likely to be as exciting as the advent of PC's was for Gen X/Y.
I guess, as well, it's like anything really, we can always choose to not use it, or to at least use common sense and not allow it to overtake reality.