If an author is attempting to create a
believable sci-fi universe and people are still wearing
wrist-watches, using corded-phones, and the control room of a
spaceship is filled with CRT monitors with green text displays, it's
going to be rather difficult to sell the scene unless the universe is
supposed to be sci-fi retro, focused on old technology. Suspension of
disbelief can be lost quickly if we are expected to take such a scene
seriously without explanation as to why old technology survived and
is still prevalent in that fictional universe. It can be especially
problematic if the portrayal of future-times includes something that
would not have survived, technologically, yet for the science fiction
author, this can be a serious quandary. It often requires a fair
amount of research into technological trends, and a little luck in
making an educated guess as to what will survive and develop in the
future.
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