in academic research that's the rule rather than the exception. The nature of research makes it very hard, even impossible, to predict what is going to have applications in the future and what those will be. To name an example, touch screens were also written off as an (awkward) curiosity for decades.
I agree with the "I hope it isn't forced on me", but that's a wholly different discussion. That's a common theme with technology: in the beginning you can choose and it all seems great, later on you're considered odd if you opt out because "everyone is using it". But that's not the fault of the researchers or of the technology, but of the way society handles it.
in academic research that's the rule rather than the exception. The nature of research makes it very hard, even impossible, to predict what is going to have applications in the future and what those will be. To name an example, touch screens were also written off as an (awkward) curiosity for decades.
I agree with the "I hope it isn't forced on me", but that's a wholly different discussion. That's a common theme with technology: in the beginning you can choose and it all seems great, later on you're considered odd if you opt out because "everyone is using it". But that's not the fault of the researchers or of the technology, but of the way society handles it.