Meta lost $80 billion on the Metaverse. We called it in 2022. Here's why the same mistake is happening again - right now.

In this week's ThrowForward Thursday, I revisit our April 2022 episode on the Metaverse hype cycle and what it teaches us about separating real technological change from expensive noise. With AI, spatial computing, and the "next big platform" dominating headlines, the ability to distinguish signal from hype is the most valuable skill a leader can have.

What you'll learn:

- Why the Metaverse failed - and what the warning signs actually were

- How to identify genuine technological disruption vs. hype-driven investment

- The thinking framework futurists use to stress-test tech trends

- What today's equivalent of the Metaverse might be

🎯 WATCH NEXT

Throwforward Thursday 48: The Metaverse (full version): https://tinyurl.com/tftepisode48

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What do you think is today's Metaverse?

In the 1980s and 90s, people smoked in restaurants while the rest of us were eating. Then we made a change. We literally changed a global culture, made new rules, and people (fairly) quickly changed their habits. We could do that again in public spaces - banning phones. Why not?

I think I know why Donald Trump wants Greenland. But why does everyone else see it as strategically important? It's not what you think. But it will change the world. Listen to this week's episode to find out more.

If robots can be developed to run ultra trail marathons and compete in sporting events, then why should humans even bother anymore?

Maybe it's less about being better than someone else, and more about finding out where one's own limits are. Maybe that's the essence of being human.

In this episode of ThrowForward Thursday we ask how advanced humanoid robots are rewiring not just our view of automation and technology, but also our view of ourselves.

Also, as a bonus... keep an eye on my progress towards running one of the world's toughest trail marathons, the Otter Challenge in October 2026.

Faster, higher, stronger - the Olympic motto that inspires the best athletes to push themselves to the limit. But what if we changed where those limits are? What if we allowed humans to not just rely on good genetics and intensive training, but also on chemical, medical and biomechanical enhancements? The team at The Enhanced Games are aiming to answer this question in a few weeks time in Las Vegas - see http://www.enhanced.com for details. Is this the future of sport? Or are we crossing a line we should not cross?

Maybe a more important question is what sorts of human enhancements might be valuable and useful in your life and work? And are there any legal and ethical limits you should be considering?

You can now access this GPT agent for free (as long as you have a ChatGPT account), and ask questions about the future, thinking like a futurist, foresight, leadership, and innovation.

It's available at http://www.graemecodrington.com/askGraeme

And if you and your team are impressed by what a GenAI version of my past work can do, then contact the real, human me and set up a time to chat about how our team can really add value to your work in the future.

In Season 6 of ThrowForward Thursday, we are revisiting some of our previous predictions and finding out what's happening in the world right now. This one is scary.

In Episode 66 (see https://youtu.be/V-b-U2Zf4V4 ) we talked about the end of antibiotics. Just this past month, in October 2025, the World Health Organization released a research report on antibiotic and AMR resistance, and it's getting worse and worse (see: https://www.who.int/news/item/13-10-2025-who-warns-of-widespread-resistance-to-common-antibiotics-worldwide ).

We need to urgently use fewer antibiotics, giving science a chance to keep up with the mutations of the diseases we are fighting. We need to think not just about "quick fixes" for our own illnesses, but more societally and systemically about healthcare.

Sport can't fight weather


The 2025 edition of the Cape Town Marathon was cancelled due to strong winds making the course unsafe. It's not the first major sporting event to be affected by weather; and it won't be the last.

Back in 2020, I was due to run the London Marathon. It was cancelled due to Covid, and we were encouraged to run a 42.2km distance in the 24 hours of the day of the marathon to earn our finisher's medal. I did that in the Covid-emptied streets of Johannesburg.

We've talked about this before in ThrowForward Thursday:

• Ep 11: Climate change am-dram moment - https://youtu.be/J6QurefheZo
  
• Ep 42: Olympics and climate change - https://youtu.be/pgl9UMFPcd4