"Snow Crashing Into The Metaverse" from Imaginary Worlds

"Snow Crashing Into The Metaverse" from Imaginary Worlds

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Cautionary Tales returns 6 Jan, 2023, but we're honored to bring you an episode of one of Tim's favorite podcasts - Imaginary Worlds

In this show from May 2022, host Eric Molinsky examines how the real world has been catching up to Neal Stephenson’s vision of the future in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, which influenced the creators of Google Earth, Second Life, Oculus Rift and more.

The novel includes a virtual world called The Metaverse, may become a daily part of our lives thanks to Facebook (renamed Meta) and other big tech companies. Eric ask whether it’s a good idea to use a satirical cyberpunk novel as a blueprint for the future.

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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford • "Snow Crashing Into The Metaverse" from Imaginary Worlds • Listen on Fountain