on a similar note, most people only get to experience "future stuff" after it has been relentlessly optimized for cost to the point where it can be economically deployed at scale. a lot of the coolness has been stripped out at that point.

on a couple occasions, I've flown in small GA planes. a bit bumpy for my tastes, but there really is a sense of wonder and awe when you can just ask the pilot to fly anywhere and see what stuff looks like from the sky. I don't get the same feeling on commercial flights; I just experience being stuck in a metal tube with beige plastic trim for a few hours. I'm still amazed by what computers can do, but to most people they are just "the thing I use to browse instagram".