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How we describe the metaverse makes a difference – today's words could shape tomorrow's reality and who benefits from it

  • Written by Tom Boellstorff, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine
How we describe the metaverse makes a difference – today's words could shape tomorrow's reality and who benefits from itThe metaverse might be a work in progress, but a key prototype – the virtual world – has been around for several decades.Screen capture from Second Life by Tom Boellstorff, CC BY-ND

Quick, define the word “metaverse.”

Coined in 1992 by science fiction author Neal Stephenson, the relatively obscure term exploded in popularity...

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