Stepping In

In CNN.com's article, "Designers developing virtual-reality 'Cocoon,'" readers are introduced to the "Cocoon," a mechanism that allows users to literally step into another world, virtually at least. The machine would recognize the users' movements and accordingly, operate to move around with the users' motions. For the gaming world, this would mean being able to incorporate one's entire body into playing video games. The Cocoon could also be used to create virtual museums that one could literally walk through a museum instead of simply looking at pictures online when you were unable to go to a real museum. In terms of shopping, it would literally allow shoppers to walk around shops, pick up books from shelves, etc.

But this leads to the question of where this leaves the real world. If you can step into a bubble and be virtually anywhere you want, who is to say that you will ever really need to leave your house? Social networking can be done, shopping can be done, even cultural outings can be had, by simply inputting where you wish to go or what you wish to do. Would a machine like this, like the mind-reading headset, destroy human interaction and life in the real world?