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 ==========================================================================
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

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Notre_Dame. Original
written by Brett Beasley. Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.


========================================================================== 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 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230525141230.htm

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