4 billion years ago, lightning and volcanoes created a strand of RNA (source: Scientific American). Then, that strand of RNA became a human - and also all other life on earth. The humans used rocks and tree limbs as early tools and eventually learned how to make computers. With the computers, life was able to reach its ultimate potential: to become an avatar in the metaverse.
The metaverse presents an incredible opportunity for every human to set aside their life in the physical world, trading it for a beautiful life as a cartoon in the metaverse. As a cartoon, you will have the amazing opportunity to disable notifications from all feelings at any time. When you sin, you can just mute that pesky “conscious”. Have a regrettable evening? No worries - delete! In the metaverse, anything is possible. Also, nothing is possible. You can actually do nothing and not worry about your mom yelling at you down the stairs. In the metaverse you no longer need your mom to cook pizza rolls. Instead, by waving your hands (or whichever shortcut you configure) pizza rolls will appear right in front of you. Don’t want to go through all of the effort of eating the pizza rolls? Wave your hands and add a snap at the end, and instead of the pizza rolls appearing, the lingering taste of pizza roll will appear in your mouth - like you just ate them. My avatar will have a shredded six pack but live on pizza rolls and chocolate milk (non-dairy of course).
The metaverse is far off, but the building blocks are here now. We have humans and computers. That’s the first step. The next step is making them one. All we need to do, is have every developer agree on a standard set of APIs for the metaverse and also agree on a single language that we can all write. Also there can’t be bugs because since this now your life, bugs are very serious. Also, there are a lot of scary viruses in the physical world. There are also scary viruses in the metaverse (because hackers). Another challenge is getting developers to actually work. This is more difficult than it sounds. At the current rate that most software developers work, it is going to take another 4 billion years before we will have anything as advanced as a metaverse. But that’s ok, as I learned in my evolutionary biology classes, “with enough time, anything is possible”.
A major worry of those building the metaverse is how to deal with bullies, alt-right domestic terrorists, trolls, and really anyone who does not take this mission seriously. These people do not understand that we are seeking to experience the real virtual world. To have real feelings. To no longer look through a screen to see someone but to feel like we’re really together. This is something that only technology can offer. Only technology can enable us to really feel and experience the real virtual world together. Free from germs and viruses except computer viruses and also able to permanently block someone at any time. You can’t do that in the physical world. Yes, in the metaverse they can create a new avatar with different color hair and trick you into dating them again just to reveal to you that it’s actually the same physical person behind the avatar. Ugh. How will we even know the true identities of people in the metaverse? In order to enforce uniqueness and true identity, DNA will be a requirement of the metaverse. Even though that means there is a physical world dependency for the virtual world, it is worth it. I wonder how we will reproduce in the metaverse.
Sam
Author’s Note
The idea of a metaverse is not a new concept at all. It is an idea that resides in the camp of transhumanism, i.e., the desire to merge human consciousness with a new “body”. To replace our carbon based physical selves with a silicon compatible version.
Human consciousness is a mysterious phenomenon to the world of science. Even as a Christian creationist, it can be difficult to define what consciousness is. For example, what are the differences between consciousness and spirit or soul? Is there a difference? Is one’s conscious their spirit? I am not convinced that anyone totally knows the answer to these questions. Though, I do believe many understand that a human’s “conscious” is the most valuable asset in the universe. Capturing and controlling it would result in ultimate power. Ultimate wealth. It would enable god-like positioning.
The goals for a metaverse are extremely lofty and highly unlikely to be achieved. A few factors working against the initiative:
- Technology is nowhere close to providing a truly immersive virtual experience. Even if all the technologies like 5G, Starlink, Project Kuiper, Neuralink, implantables and the genetic engineering field were all functioning at their full potential, there still remains a major issue of consciousness and being unable to tap into it. There also is a giant question of, can any of those technologies deliver on their ultimate goals - it is too early to tell. There’s a long way to go.
- Developer talent and ambition is extremely low across the board. Getting a large enough group of advanced, high performing software engineers is near impossible. A side effect of the technologist lifestyle is that encourages laziness and inner confusion in people. Software builders become burnt out or produce suboptimal results. Getting a team of highly paid people to build a web application is hard enough, let alone an entire virtual universe.
- Most people have no interest in becoming a cartoon. They do not want to live inside a video game. Most people are content in the real world and have become untrusting of big tech companies. Getting masses to submit their consciousness to a new world created by unrelatable tech nerds will be a big hurdle.
Most importantly, there is the question of if a true “metaverse” is even possible. Is it possible to create a reality in which humans feel and experience like they do in real world? Have we been specifically created by God to inhabit this earth, or are we just celestial beings that can operate in any medium which meets our minimum requirements? Is feeling and experience as simple as stimulating our neurons? Is that all there is to being human?
It is my prediction that the “metaverse” will continue to be an alluring idea that distracts people from the more important aspects of reality, as transhumanism has been for many years. An exciting escape that promises a different, better life. It will be an unreachable dream, like general intelligence AI, or colonizing Mars. A big, unachievable mission, that will capture billions of dollars and many souls in its quest to nowhere.
Ultimately, it is a distraction which replaces Jesus Christ with imagination and uses virtual entertainment to divert sanctification.
I advise individuals to be skeptical of the metaverse. We should see it for what it is, an attempt to capture large amounts of power, and make fun of how ridiculous the idea really is. We should make sure that our children are aware of this agenda as they are especially vulnerable to these concepts. For all of us, this is a great opportunity to realize what social media companies are willing to take; our heart, mind, and now our soul. We should use this as a time to detach from them entirely. Life is full of feeling and beautiful experience when we are not engaged in virtual social platforms. Lean in to relationships in the real world. Participate in things which strengthen the mind, body, and spirit. Let us not be seduced by the unknown virtual wonderland that is being promised.
I advise businesses to keep a hedge in the “metaverse”. Big tech companies are announcing that this is where they want to head. I do not doubt that there will be a group of our population that will pioneer this movement. The question is how large that group will be. In a few years it will be clear how the mainstream reacts to transhumanism and the metaverse. Will it be rejected or accepted? Until then, it is best to position your business to have a presence on new virtual marketplaces as they appear. This will likely mean having the ability to integrate with new APIs as they become available - like a “Meta (Facebook) Marketplace API”. If masses of people are using these marketplaces you may have no choice but to list your products and services on them. Getting your business internet compatible is the best preparation.
It all comes down to what we choose. What will we submit to. I do not blame the silicon gods for pursing this dream. If they have rejected the Son of God then they are unable to taste eternity or know what it is like to truly live. Will we follow these men? Will we journey into the virtual abyss trusting that CEOs and our collective intelligence will lead us to paradise? Or instead, will we humble ourselves and submit to the God of Creation. The One who promises something greater. The One who defines sin and has declared it dead. Permanently excommunicated from the place that He has prepared. Who will we follow?
