Hello this is 6 minute English from BBC learning English. I’m Sam.
And I’m Neal.
On Saturday mornings I love going to watch football and the park. The problem is when cold and rainy I look out the bedroom window and straight back to bed.
Well instead of going to park, why not bring park to you. Imagine watching a live version of football match at home warm with friends. Sound good Sam?
Hmm. Sounds great. But how can I be two plays at once. Is it some amazing invention to do that?
That might be Sam. And it could be happening soon as you think. Thanks to developer in VR or Virtual Reality. According to Facebook boss, Mark Zuckerberg in the future we all spent much of time living and working in the metaverse. A serious of virtual worlds.
Virtual reality is a topic we discussed before 6 minute English. But when facebook announced it was hiring ten thousand new workers to develop the VR for the metaverse. For thought it was a time for another look.
In this program, we’ll be hearing two different opinions on the metaverse. And how it might shape the future.
But first I have question for you Neal. According to 2020 one survey by gaming company Thrive Analytics, what percentage of people who try Virtual reality once, want to try again? Is it a) 9% b) 49% or c) 79%.
I guess with the either you love it or hate it. So I’ll say it b) 49% of people want to try again.
Okay, I’ll reveal the correct answer later in the program. But what Neal said is true people tend to either love it VR or hate it. Somebody who loves it as a Emma Ridderstad, CEO of Warpin, a company which develops VR technology.
Here she is telling BBC World Service program Tech Ten her vision of the future.
In ten years everything you do on your phone today. You will doing 3d through your glasses for example. You will be able to do your shopping, you will be able to meet your friends, you will be able to work remotely with whom ever you want. You will be able to share digital spaces share music, share art, share projects in digital spaces in between each other. And you will also be able to integrate digital object in your physical world. Making the world much more phygital than it is today.
Virtual Reality creates 3d or three dimensional experiences where objects have the three dimensions length and height this makes them look life like and solid not too dimensional and flat.
Emma says that in the future VR makes digital objects and physical objects to create exiting new experiences like staying at home to watch the same football match that is simultaneously happening in the park. She blends the word physical and digital to make a new word describing this combination phygital.
But while phygital future sounds like paradise to some, others are more skeptical they doubt that VR will come true or be useful.
One such a skeptic is technology innovator doctor Nicolar Millard. For one thing she doesn’t like wearing a VR headset. The heavy helmets and glasses that create Virtual Reality for the wearer. Something she explained to BBC World Services “Tech ten”.
There are also basic things we need to think about, so, how do we access it? So the reason of social networks took off was we’ve got mobile technologies that let us use it. Now, obviously one of the barriers can be VR or AR headsets, so, VR, I’ve always been slightly skeptical about. I’ve called vomity reality for a while because, frankly, I usually need a bucket somewhere close, if you’ve got a headset on me, and also do I want to spend vast amount of time in those rather unwieldy headsets? Now, I know they’re talking AR as well, and obviously that does not necessarily need a headset. But I think we’re seeing some quiet immerse environments coming out at the moment as well.
Nicola called VR ‘vomity reality’ because wearing a headset makes her feel sick. Maybe because it is so unwieldy, difficult to move or wear because it is big and heavy.
She also makes a distinction between VR – Virtual Reality and AR – which stands for augmented reality – tech which adds to ordinary physical world by projecting Virtual World pictures and characters. Usually by wearing a glasses or with a mobile phone. Well virtual reality replaces what you hear and see augmented reality adds to it. Both VR and AR are massive experiences. They stimulate your senses and surround you so that you feel completely involved and experienced.
In fact the experience feel so real the people keep coming back for more.
Right. So in my question I asked Neal how many people who try VR for the first time wanted to try again.
I guessed it was about half. 49% was that right.
You were wrong I’m afraid. The correct answer is much higher 79% of people would give VR another try. I suppose because the experience was so immersive, stimulating, surrounding and realistic.
Okay Sam let’s recap the other vocabulary from this program on the metaverse a kind of ‘augmented reality’ reality which is an enhanced to added to by technology.
3d object has three dimensions, making them appear real and solid.
Phygital is an invented word combines of the features of physical and digital world.
Skeptical person is doubtful about something.
And finally unwieldy means difficult to move or carry because it is so big and heavy.
That’s our 6 minutes up. In this reality anyway. See you in the metaverse soon.
