In the late 90s to early 2000s I was a teenager and communicated with various scientists and academics via email, some of which had something of a mentor role.

In the late 90s to early 2000s I was a teenager and communicated with various scientists and academics via email, some of which had something of a mentor role. By those experiences I'd say someone like Alcubierre is more likely to engage young ducklings than, say, Michio Kaku.