Element dyn.pr. Projection ↔ Speculation

an extension of possibilities into the future

Speculation is the effort to determine what could conceivably happen in the future even though it is not the most likely scenario. Speculation leads a character to expect the unlikely in the event that it actually occurs. Difficulties arise when Speculation runs rampant and a character puts effort into preparing for things that are so unlikely as to be unreasonably improbable.

syn. prognostication, surmising possibilities, conjecturing