The idea of virtual reality through programs like Second Life has been around for sometime. The merging of the virtual, and the real will be increasingly important in the mid-21st century. Business meetings could be conducted in a virtual setting. The ONLY problem with these ideas are not whether it can be done, but whether it should be done. By making business meetings virtual, people will not have the excuse of traveling to Hong Kong for a weekend trip.

Why aren’t all subways/undergrounds automated? Unions. There is an ongoing struggle between innovation, and forces for the status quo across the political spectrum. The real experience is going to be better than the virtual for a long time to come, and it should be protected as the authentic reality. If you want to invest in virtual reality, front row seats at a Barca game might be cool. The real experience is something you can’t easily replicate.