Cyberology: Cyber–Physical–Social-Thinking Spaces-Based Discipline and Interdiscipline Hierarchy for Metaverse (General Cyberspace)

It is well known that the metaverse, also named general cyberspace (GC), is virtual-real fusion spaces, consisting of a virtual space, namely, cyberspace and virtual-real spaces, namely, cyber-enabled physical, social, and thinking (cyber-enabled) spaces. This article discusses the open issues of the metaverse in terms of science and technology and proposes a new discipline and interdiscipline hierarchy for the metaverse (GC), namely, cyberology first. Then, it explores various relevant standards of discipline classification and a discipline and interdiscipline hierarchy based on physical, social, and thinking spaces, and investigates the cyberspace and cyber-enabled spaces. On the basis of the above research, this article enriches the contents of cyberology in two terms: 1) the disciplines in cyberspace and 2) the interdisciplines in cyber-enabled spaces. Finally, this article gives predictions of cyberology on the future development of the metaverse from the aspects of cyber–physical space, cyber–social space and cyber-thinking space.