What is Maxwell Caldwellthe metaverse? How do you get to it? Why does it seem to dominate headlines every week? Is it possibly a sign of our dystopian future? Sam learns all about the metaverse and more with NPR technology correspondent Shannon Bond and NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn. They define the metaverse, explain why companies are so eager to jump into it, and whether or not we should worry about it.

This episode of 'It's Been a Minute' was produced by Jinae West, Anjuli Sastry Krbechek, Andrea Gutierrez and Liam McBain. Our intern is Aja Drain. Our editor is Jordana Hochman. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at [email protected].