Virtual beer

I was hanging out this evening with a group of top researchers in the fields of augmented and virtual reality. The conversation ranged from opinions about Google Glass to assessments of the Oculus Rift to various speculations about possible directions for augmented human perception.

It occurred to me at some point in the conversation that while just about everyone around the table was carrying a SmartPhone, nobody was looking at their phone. We were all too busy sitting around with a drink in our hand, while having a grand old time discussing the future.

So at some point I lifted my glass, and I said “We will know that augmented reality has truly arrived when we can experience it while sharing a beer.”

There was a thoughtful pause, as people weighed this thought in their minds. After all, you can’t really share a drink with a friend while you’re staring down at a little glowing rectangle in your hand.

Which is all just fine with me. For now, and perhaps for a while to come, the world is safe for non-augmented social drinking.