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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    The metaverse can lead to better science    
      
     Date:   
         May 25, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Notre Dame   
     Summary:   
         One researcher says we should look beyond the hype to see how   
         virtual reality can make scientists more effective. But to realize   
         the benefits, researchers must also plan well and avoid potential   
         pitfalls.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   In 2021, Facebook made "metaverse" the buzziest word on the web,   
   rebranding itself as Meta and announcing a plan to build "a set of   
   interconnected digital spaces that lets you do things you can't do in the   
   physical world." Since then, the metaverse has been called many different   
   things. Some say it is the "future of the internet." Others call it "an   
   amorphous concept that no one really wants."  For Diego Go'mez-Zara',   
   an assistant professor in the University of Notre Dame's Department   
   of Computer Science and Engineering, the metaverse is something else:   
   a tool for better science.   
      
   In "The Promise and Pitfalls of the Metaverse for Science," published in   
   Nature Human Behavior, Go'mez-Zara' argues that scientists should take   
   advantage of the metaverse for research while also guarding against the   
   potential hazards that come with working in virtual reality.   
      
   Virtual environments, real benefits Along with co-authors Peter   
   Schiffer (Department of Applied Physics and Department of Physics, Yale   
   University) and Dashun Wang (McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern   
   University), Go'mez-Zara' defines the metaverse as a virtual space where   
   users can interact in a three-dimensional environment and take actions   
   that affect the world outside.   
      
   The researchers say the metaverse stands to benefit science in four   
   main ways.   
      
   First, it could remove barriers and make science more accessible. To   
   understand these opportunities, Go'mez-Zara' says, we need not speculate   
   about the distant future. Instead, we can point to ways researchers have   
   already begun using virtual environments in their work.   
      
   At the University College London School of Pharmacy, for example,   
   scientists have made a digital replica of their lab that can be visited   
   in virtual reality. This digital replica allows scientists at various   
   points around the world to meet, collaborate and make decisions together   
   about how to move a research project forward.   
      
   Similarly, a virtual laboratory training developed by the Centers   
   for Disease Control and Prevention teaches young scientists in many   
   different locations to identify the parts of a lab and even conduct   
   emergency procedures.   
      
   This example shows a second benefit: improving teaching and learning.   
      
   Go'mez-Zara' explains, "For someone training to become a surgeon,   
   it is very hard to perform a procedure for the first time without   
   any mistakes. And if you are working with a real patient, a mistake   
   can be very harmful. Experiential learning in a virtual environment   
   can help you try something and make mistakes along the way without   
   harmful consequences, and the freedom from harmful consequences   
   can improve research in other fields as well."  Go'mez-Zara' is also   
   working with a team at Notre Dame's Virtual Reality Lab to understand a   
   third potential benefit, one related to the social side of science. The   
   research team studies the effects of online environments on a team's work   
   processes. They find that virtual environments can help teams collaborate   
   more effectively than videoconferencing.   
      
   "Since the pandemic, we have all become comfortable videoconferencing,"   
   says Go'mez-Zara'. "But that doesn't mean getting on a video call is   
   the most effective tool for every task. Especially for intense social   
   activities like team building and innovation, virtual reality is a   
   much closer replica of what we would have offline and could prove much   
   more effective."  Go'mez-Zara' says the metaverse could also be used to   
   create wholly new experimental environments.   
      
   "If you can get data and images from somewhere, you can create a virtual   
   replica of that place in virtual reality," Go'mez-Zara' explains. For   
   example, he says, we have images of Mars captured by satellites and   
   robots. "These could be used to create a virtual reality version   
   of the environment where scientists can experience what it is like   
   there. Eventually they could even interact with the environment from   
   a distance."  Potential pitfalls Go'mez-Zara' emphasizes that realizing   
   the full benefits of the metaverse will also require us to avoid several   
   pitfalls associated with it.   
      
   There are still barriers to using virtual reality. Virtual reality   
   goggles and related equipment, while becoming more affordable, still   
   require a significant investment.   
      
   This issue relates to a larger one: Who owns the metaverse? Currently,   
   a few technology companies control the metaverse, but Go'mez-Zara' notes   
   that there have been calls for agencies and others who support research to   
   invest in building an open, public metaverse. In the meantime, he says,   
   it is important for researchers to think through questions of ownership   
   and privacy any time they work in the metaverse.   
      
   His overall message, though, is a hopeful one. "We still tend to associate   
   the metaverse with entertainment and casual socialization. This makes it   
   all too easy to dismiss," he says. "But look at how quickly we have all   
   adapted to technologies we used rarely before the pandemic. It could be   
   the same way with the metaverse. We need the research community exploring   
   it. That is the best way to plan for the risks while also recognizing   
   all of the possibilities."   
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Matter_&_Energy   
                   # Virtual_Environment # Engineering #   
                   Engineering_and_Construction # Physics   
             o Computers_&_Math   
                   # Virtual_Reality # Video_Games # Computers_and_Internet   
                   # Computer_Modeling   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Virtual_reality o Robot o Potential_energy o Science o   
             Hydroelectricity o Scientific_method o Computer_security   
             o Grid_computing   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Notre_Dame. Original   
   written by Brett Beasley. Note: Content may be edited for style and   
   length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Diego Go'mez-Zara', Peter Schiffer, Dashun Wang. The promise   
      and pitfalls   
         of the metaverse for science. Nature Human Behaviour, 2023; DOI:   
         10.1038/ s41562-023-01599-5   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230525141230.htm   
      
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