That's fine, but once one assumes the impact of this technology is wholly without precedent then they're left speculating about a future informed only by their

That's fine, but once one assumes the impact of this technology is wholly without precedent then they're left speculating about a future informed only by their own imagination. They'll always be able to re-affirm their own preconceptions (fears) because its the "just so" fantasy future of their own making. I don't see the point of coming to HN to trade those invented stories, as people here traditionally push to stay within the engineer's realm of how real things work, how they fit into the history of innovation, and what people might practically build with those things based on how they work. There are countless speculative fiction communities better suited to idle "yeah, but what if the sky was purple tomorrow?" discussions.