@Retired Urologist: ISTM it’s a combination of two things:
It’s a bit of nerd cultural heritage most of us have in common.
Science fiction, more than other fiction, tends to deal with ideas, especially science ideas, and future predictions. That’s not to say that it usually deals well with them—science flubs are more common, and the aforementioned Star Wars is a big offender. But it’s usually wrestling with them at least a little bit, and therein lies another reason it comes up frequently in idea discussions.
@Retired Urologist: ISTM it’s a combination of two things:
It’s a bit of nerd cultural heritage most of us have in common.
Science fiction, more than other fiction, tends to deal with ideas, especially science ideas, and future predictions. That’s not to say that it usually deals well with them—science flubs are more common, and the aforementioned Star Wars is a big offender. But it’s usually wrestling with them at least a little bit, and therein lies another reason it comes up frequently in idea discussions.