The other day, after watching Avatar—in 3D of course—I had an unusual perceptual experience. As I was walking by a tree, I felt as if I was in the Avatar movie. For the first time in my life, I became acutely aware of how my visual system and brain might process spatial information. It was a strange moment of reality repeating virtual reality.
I understand that 3D TV, which seems to be all the hype among consumer electronics companies these days, might flunk—at least in the short term because there won’t be enough 3D content, or because consumers won’t lay out the money for the new TVs (yet). I, for my part, will love the 3D technology because it helps me to live a richer real life.
