Finding treasures and clues in underground tunnels and castles; fighting boss King Kong in a car race; mastering kung fu skills within several minutes; hanging out with avatars; and using math skills to save the world – these are not only scenes from sci-fi novels, movies and games, but also from a virtual universe called the metaverse.

Scientists and business executives are making efforts to build a metaverse, or "meta universe," that combines the digital and simulated virtual worlds. It invokes imaginary creations like those from "The Matrix" (1999), OZ in "Summer Wars" (2009) and Oasis in "Ready Player One" (2018), even offering people a "second life."

The concept of metaverse became a buzzword in 2021, creating a meta market frenzy in stocks and spurring hopes of a boost in virtual realms that would unlock serious real-world dollars.