I recently attended AWE - the Augmented World Expo, in Lisbon. Hundreds of people, eagerly jumping into The Metaverse with their various inventions, everything from smart glasses, to haptic gloves, to full body VR immersion were there to meet, greet, try and build together. What is it about the metaverse, about virtual, augmented and mixed reality that has people so excited? Is it the sci-fi futures we've all been promised by popular culture? Or is it something else?