I fully agree with the sentiment. Speculation what form future tech takes should have be broad and uncommitted. * Given our current knowledge, Dyson Spheres a

I fully agree with the sentiment. Speculation what form future tech takes should have be broad and uncommitted. * Given our current knowledge, Dyson Spheres are essentially impossible (just lesser-known point is that unlike planet, full Dyson Sphere or Ring World would not be attracted to the star that it would be built around, so it would have to be guided to move with it - see Larry Niven's Ring World Engineers). * What a civilization would do with all the energy, whether it would want it, etc are other unknowns. As you say, turning one person's clever idea into a whole research program at the very least neglects other great scifi novels.