Thank you for the link. The cake example was exactly what I was thinking of when I said that things may be changing (though I couldn't recall the specific example). It's also quite likely that as the Scala community grows, and people stop trying to make it be "like <language> but more <quality>", we will see more innovation in this space.

Still, I think Scala is first and foremost a practical language. Straying too far from that as a primary goal would probably be harmful in the long run (i.e. driving a Ferrari might be fun, but you're not going to buy one for the daily commute).