Not sure if anyone might have some insights on this question, but figured I'd pose it anyway (and do it here because it's been damn near two years since I posted in a random banter thread)...

Lately I've taken up kind of an informal research project that is very much not in my profession/field-- something I have no intention of ever publishing, but something I have a strong interest in and enjoy learning and writing about. In the course of that research I came across a series of lectures from a prominent professor (now retired) in this field of study that has been super helpful and interesting to me, but I have some questions either directly related to the content of the lectures or that haven't been addressed in them. How out of bounds or weird is it to email that professor and ask if they're willing to talk with me about the subject matter? I have a coworker who has done this and had fruitful conversations come out of it, but that was with academics/professors whose field of expertise related directly to what we were doing professionally.

If anyone here either is a professor or has tried doing this, I'd appreciate any insights.