Everything we have heard about the metaverse so far is wrong. Or so Herman Narula - the CEO of Improbable and author of Virtual Society - will say when he gives an in-person talk at the Department of Computer Science and Technology on Wednesday 9th November.

Herman will argue that the metaverse goes back thousands of years and that our digital future will not be determined by a few large platforms and VR headsets.

He will explain why the metaverse will matter to individuals and society, and what crucial technologies are needed to build it.

We are very pleased to be welcoming our alumnus Herman Narula back to the Cambridge University Department of Computer Science and Technology to give this talk. He is the co-founder and CEO of Improbable. This is the British metaverse technology company that he co-founded with Robert Whitehead in 2012 while they were both studying for a degree here in Computer Science.

Those who cannot attend in person can join the livestream by following this link: https://zoom.us/j/98901725392?pwd=UWNVZVFTcVQxL2JkS0V1WVBoelBuUT09

Improbable partners with video game developers, entertainment companies, and defence and academic institutions to enable powerful, virtual worlds of unprecedented size and usefulness. This year, Improbable established M2 (MSquared), a network of interoperable metaverses powered by its Morpheus technology.

M2 allows companies, brands and creators to establish their own metaverses and Web3 businesses within its network, organise large-scale experiences with their communities involving thousands of active participants, and provide interoperability with existing blockchains and Web3 businesses.

Herman is the author of Virtual Society: The Metaverse and the New Frontiers of Human Experience, which will be published by Penguin Random House on 11 October. The book offers an exploration of the metaverse, its ancient origins, and how the exchange of value and ideas within and between virtual worlds will expand the possibilities of human life.

In it, Herman draws on deep, cross-disciplinary research in history, sociology and psychology to show readers what the metaverse actually is, why it will matter and why it’s here to stay.

After his talk, there will be a Q&A followed by refreshments and opportunities to buy copies of his book.

Turning the metaverse from myth to reality