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Mass in a virtual church, pilgrimage in a virtual reality, speaking to the dead ─ these are some of the ways the metaverse could change religious practices and beliefs. Today, religion is experiencing new transformations. And the information-rich, image-laden character of the internet can provide new ways to understand and explain religious activity.
Today in The Conversation Canada, Marco Adria from the University of Alberta writes about how the metaverse could affect religious practices. New technologies have always informed and changed our religious experiences. As radio emerged in the 1880s, séances became popular because some thought the technology had opened a door to the spirit world.
“While the metaverse as a religious space may seem novel for now,” Adria writes, “its capacities for action provide clear evidence that religious users will find much to value and use in this new medium.”
Also today:
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Although still in its early days, the metaverse has already attracted those who seek a religious experience online.
(Shutterstock)
Marco Adria, University of Alberta
The metaverse will soon become a prime destination for those seeking online religious experiences.
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A Surrey Police crest is seen on the side of one of the force’s vehicles in Surrey, B.C., in July 2023. The provincial government wants the city to move ahead with an independent police force instead of using the RCMP.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Bryce J. Casavant, Royal Roads University
The current blue-on-blue battle between competing law enforcement agencies in a large British Columbia city does little to strengthen public trust in the rule of law and in our police forces
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Jay Baruchel and Emily Hampshire play siblings in the satirical ‘Humane,’ where people are asked to enlist for euthanasia to avoid human extinction.
(Elevation Pictures)
Chris Corker, York University, Canada
Faced with a darkly satirical vision that hardly seems sensationalist, the audience might wish for compassionate thinking to combat ecological disaster and precarious resources.
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People with ALS gradually lose the ability to perform voluntary movements due to a loss of communication between the nervous system and the muscles.
(Shutterstock)
Mari Carmen Pelaez, Université Laval; Antoine Desmeules, Université Laval; Chantelle F. Sephton, Université Laval
A new study shows that it is possible to reduce the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by reducing the inflammation caused by immune cells in the brain.
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Companies can do more if they truly want to support healthier dietary patterns among adults and children in Canada.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
Lana Vanderlee, Université Laval; Alexa Gaucher-Holm, Université Laval; Dana Olstad, University of Calgary; Monique Potvin Kent, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Many food and beverage companies are not doing enough to positively shape diets in Canada, while positive examples show that public health commitments are achievable.
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Education
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Natalia Kucirkova, The Open University
Technology is being used in schools without extensive research to show whether it has a positive impact.
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Politics
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Liam Byrne, The University of Melbourne; Emma Shortis, RMIT University
There are many parallels between 1968 and today: an unpopular war, a vulnerable Democratic presidential candidate and a divided America.
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Science + Tech
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Sarah Glozer, University of Bath; Hannah Trittin, Leuphana University
There’s a lot of graft behind the glamour.
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