Sports Illustrated has debuted a massive VR documentary experience called "Capturing Everest." Barry Bishop, a veteran mountaineer, breast cancer survivor Lisa Thompson, and amputee Jeff Glasbrenner ascended to the Everest summit on May 18th of last year. The group's seven-day climb was captured in 360 degree video for VR playback. SI's editors say when immersed in the film, viewers will get a real sense of "the ominous crackling of an icefall, the steepness of a snowy crevasse that must be crossed, the loneliness of a cramped base-camp tent, and the whistling of the wind at the top of the world." The Next Web says "Capturing Everest" may be "the first VR masterpiece." – SI

Game developer Will Brierly says he has lost 50 pounds so far using the VR stationary bike system VirZoom. Brierly developed the "Soda Drinker Pro" game, which is all about guzzling as much soda you can in space, on the beach, etc. In real life, his soda habit caused him to balloon up in weight, so he pulled the trigger on the VirZoom. The system lets a rider burn the necessary calories while being distracted by various connected games, including one that "transforms" your bicycle into the winged horse Pegasus: "Just being in these worlds makes it so you don't think about it. You're not thinking, I have to work out. You're thinking, this is fun. Then it's over and you're like, oh, that worked!" (Brierly also reports having adopted better eating habits.)– CNBC

Virtual reality may prove to be a valuable alternative to opioids in the treatment of chronic pain. Opioid prescriptions have tripled in the US since 1990, but the drugs have proved to be far less effective at managing pain than they are at making addicts out of innocent users. In fact, US users consume 80% of the world's supply of opioid painkillers, and it has led to a major addiction epidemic. Enter VR: “We know that if people feel anxious and helpless then their suffering from the pain is much greater,” says one researcher. VR can take them convincingly to a safe, faraway place to lessen anxiety, and interactivity (such as making and tossing virtual snowballs with penguin pals) can aid them in achieving a feeling of control. – QUARTZ

Media mogul Arianna Huffington remained remarkably calm during her virtual fall off of a 500-foot building during a demonstration at Fortune's Brainstorm Health conference. Huffington was being used as a guinea pig to demonstrate how VR can help people deal with their fears, and potentially overcome them. Once she was "hoisted" to the top of the skyscraper, she was asked to take "one large confident step" off of the ledge. While plunging, she was asked to keep looking down as the ground approached. After the demo, Huffington seemed unfazed. She reported feeling fearful right before she made her leap but says she wasn't particularly scared on the way down, crediting her years of meditation for allowing her to keep a cool head. – FORTUNE

Arjan van Meerten's VR film "Apex" takes viewers to a "heavy metal end-of-the-world." The film premiered as part of the Tribeca Film Festival's Virtual Arcade. In it, viewers watch a city get engulfed by an exploding sun while a giant Godzilla-esque figure stomps whatever is left of it. Van Meerten says his ultimate goal was developing a new kind of music video. The Observer's Alanna Martinez says that while the film's apocalyptic tropes are somewhat familiar, overall it offers "a full-body experience that pushes the bounds of what’s possible with VR." – OBSERVER