Perhaps for casual readers.

But say you write a pop culture hit, people start looking deeper, and the gaps become glaring.

Like the fusion drives in the expanse, it's hand waved on the first read through, but on the second I found that someone had calculated it online (like this https://toughsf.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-expanses-epstein-dr...) and now it kinda ruins the vibe, the author should have chosen something outside of current science (basically magic) or used a technology that's feasible.

Also, the ships fucking explode when they lose magnetic fusion containment...whereas in reality it would just dissipate...