3d-Printing and Metaverse

By RENETTA W. HOWARD

IN CINQUE

We have heard the word 3-D for many years as during the early 1950’s we were able to go and see the 3-D movies which had to be viewed with special glasses to observe the 3-D effect. Three dimensions of an act was what we were seeing. The popularity of the 3-D movies did not last very long, but the idea of 3-D is still around and more popular now in other areas of our lives, as in 3-D printers.

It is amazing that the concept of a 3-D printer brings to mind the imprint of words written on paper or something of the sort, yet is refers to the making of an object which is three dimensional. The 3-D printers were originally very expensive, but the price has reduced dramatically and there are many items made with 3-D printers today, including parts for various vehicles and in some cases automobiles. One specific item which is amazing is a home built with 3-D printing.  The Habitat for Humanity has begun to make concrete houses instead of wood houses since the price of wood soared during the last year, by utilizing 3-D printing. If we notice in our neighborhoods, we are seeing magnanimous warehouses being constructed daily with concrete walls going up and by a week’s end, there are four walls; construction which would ordinarily take months.

On the other hand, there is the Metaverse, an attempt to make virtual social life 3-D. It is a fairly new word and new concept which is focused on making the internet a virtual world with augmented headsets to make meetings and social activities 3-D. The owner of Facebook has plans to make Facebook a Metaverse.  This concept is working on the premise that everyone has zoom capabilities. If and when Facebook goes completely virtual, that will be my jumping off point since I do not zoom.  I just have not made up my mind to do so as I really have not gotten into Facetime on the cellular telephone, since the telephone itself is somewhat like a security blanket.  No one wants to leave home without the cell phone. In a Metaverse, that 3-D socializing will really need some limits because there is always the chance that someone will want to introduce sexting into it.  We will have to get ‘in cinque’ and make choices if all of the internet platforms can successfully get together and form a Metaverse.