CAMDEN – The annual Camden Technology Conference – known as Pop!Tech – opens today, exploring the implications of the bold new artificial world created in cyberspace.

This year’s conference is titled “Artificial Worlds: Expanding Human Horizons.”

Speakers and audience members will explore new societies, worldwide gambling communities, how artificial worlds are beginning to overlay reality, what’s ahead in totally immersive virtual reality, the artificial worlds of the silver screen and even artificial worlds that are chemically induced.

The new, artificial world created on the Internet is like huge tracts of real estate new to the human species. If the trend continues, the conference asks, will artificial worlds end up surpassing the real one for our time, energy and emotional involvement? Will the artificial worlds enrich us or leave us bereft in an ocean of unreality?

For more information, see www.poptech.org