Buzz
In a prior article (top 30 failed technology predictions), we shared a list of statements that were proven to be completely wrong. Science is always evolving (not only in the tech world), making it a rich source for predictions that seem laughably misguided with the benefit of hindsight. This list highlights 15 quotes from scientists around the globe who likely regret making these statements.
1 Quotes 1 – 5
1. While television may be possible theoretically and technically, I believe it’s an impossibility commercially and financially, and there’s no need to waste time dreaming about it. – Lee DeForest, American radio pioneer, 1926.
2. Radio has no future. – Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist.
3. Well-informed individuals are aware that transmitting voices over wires is impossible, and even if it were feasible, it would serve no practical purpose. – Editorial in the Boston Post, 1865
4. 'The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be beyond the reach of the wise and compassionate surgeon.' – Sir John Eric Ericson, Surgeon to Queen Victoria, 1873
5. 'That virus is a pussycat.' — Dr. Peter Duesberg, molecular-biology professor at U.C. Berkeley, on HIV, 1988
2 Quotes 6 – 10
6. Your cigarettes will never gain popularity. – F. G. Alton, 1870, cigar maker, rejecting Mr. John Player's proposal
7. I see no reason why the ideas presented in this work should disturb the religious sensibilities of anyone. – Darwin (writing in Origin of Species), 1859
8. X-rays are a scam. – Lord Kelvin (again!), around 1900
9. The so-called theories of Einstein are nothing but the ramblings of a mind corrupted by liberal, democratic nonsense that is completely unacceptable to German scientists. – Dr. Walter Gross, 1940
10. 'With over 50 foreign cars already available here, the Japanese automobile industry is unlikely to capture a significant portion of the U.S. market.' — Business Week, August 2, 1968.
3 Quotes 11 – 15
11. 'Drill for oil? You mean drill into the earth to search for oil? You're out of your mind.' — Workers whom Edwin L. Drake attempted to recruit for his oil drilling project in 1859.
12. 'Louis Pasteur's germ theory is pure nonsense.' — Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872.
13. 'Airplanes are fascinating gadgets but hold no value in military applications.' — Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.
14. 'Everything that can be invented has already been invented.' — Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
15. 'In the coming decades, cars will feature folding wings that can extend when driving on a straight road, allowing the vehicle to take flight.' — Eddie Rickenbacker, 'Popular Science,' July 1924
