You can't really call it "explaining the mechanics" when there's no evidence he actually talked to anyone or did any research to see if his theorizing holds up.

So can nothing be published unless it's cleared by experts in the field? This isn't even in a scientific journal - it's a Medium blog post. I'm not sure why you're attempting to hold it to the rigor of a journal (which he'd have to pay for to apply to, I might add). And on the accusation of having "no research", his research is all the things he observed happening in the world in the first half of the essay.

Speculation is fine - everyone does it. But usually you admit that right up front. "I've done no research but here's my half-baked theory of how this works." You show a bit of humility, some understanding that you might not have it right the first time, and invite corrections. (Also, if it's based on what other people wrote, links help.)