Well I have a theory but I doubt anyone is going to like it.

The problem with futurism is that eventually the future arrives and the predictions fall way short of reality. People get discouraged and "drop out" of the habit of believing the latest round of breakthroughs. This sub has gone through the full cycle at this point.

Mostly, it's a matter of the time it takes to commercially develop things. While that is going on, the headlines disappear and then if it manages to succeed, it is more interesting to the wall street types than the dreamers.

Another thing and maybe this is just me, is that I always objected to '-ology' as the best suffix. 'Futurism' is more sustainable because 'futurology' promises some sort of scientific rigor that will never happen on any sub.

Terrific OP and even better answers here.

I am an old geezer and I wrote a paper in High School asking very similar questions, in 1976. The pace of change was already too fast for the old folks of the day, but we all knew it would just get faster and faster.

All the points I wanted to make I see here already with a quick scan.

I would just emphasize the individuality of the thing. It is very hard to even state a valid generalization, and it is all too easy to paint with a broad brush.

It takes courage to predict near term like this. No one will ever post to agree with you on anything.