Australian futurist Mark Pesce, who co-invented the internet’s foundational 3D technology that is making the Metaverse possible, heads back to where it all began with a brand-new series on his award-winning podcast, The Next Billion Seconds.
In the new 6-part series of the Tech News podcast, Pesce will explore ‘A Brief History of the Metaverse.’ He will be joined in the hosting seat by fellow Metaverse pioneer, Tony Parisi. Together, they explore the long history of the Metaverse – from the early science fiction, through to their creation of VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language, the origins of the modern Metaverse) and Facebook’s bet-the-farm reinvention as Meta Networks.
“To understand why trillion-dollar tech giants like Meta, Apple and Amazon are fighting to own the Metaverse, we have to look back,” said Mark Pesce (pictured above). “All of this has happened before, and it’s all happening again.”
With 40-plus years of inventing, exploring, and explaining the diverse innovations that will change our world, Pesce – who is also an author and former judge of ABC’s The New Inventors – has a reputation for unapologetic questions and unparalleled insights giving listeners the information they need to make the best decisions about how to prepare for – and profit from – what’s next.
If you’ve ever wanted to understand more about the virtual world – and why it’s suddenly gotten very real – the new Metaverse series on The Next Billion Seconds is a must-listen. “The Next Billion Seconds is all about answering questions about the future and giving people hope,” Pesce said. “I thought it was time to unpack the mysterious Metaverse so you know exactly where it came from, what’s around the corner – and how it affects you.”
Tony Parisi (pictured above) has been working on the technology behind the Metaverse ever since his initial collaboration with Pesce to create VRML. He is now Chief Strategy Officer at Lamina1, a new layer 1 blockchain and ecosystem purpose-built to power the Metaverse. “I am thrilled to be joining Mark to co-host this series and continue our nearly thirty year collaboration,” said Parisi. “The Metaverse isn’t only about technology; it’s about the people and their stories, and our collective desire to connect, express ourselves, and hopefully make the world a better place. This starts with understanding where we came from and how we got here. We can’t wait to share these stories with the world.”
The Next Billion Seconds is produced by Ampel and this year the podcast episodes are centred around the theme ‘World Changing.’ The new series ‘A Brief History of the Metaverse’ is sponsored by Digital Skills Organisation (DSO). DSO are focused on digitally upskilling Australians through education and training programs, to address the skills shortage that Australia is currently facing. ‘A Brief History of the Metaverse’ will be available to download from 15 September 15 wherever you get all your good podcasts.
