Inspiration & Paradox 63: Yesterday's Beliefs, Today's Ironies

Think twice before you make a judgment on impossibilities, especially if you are famous enough to be remembered by the many generations to come.

Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, London - 1895"Heavier than air flying machines are impossible"

RCA Executives - 1920"This wireless music box [the radio] has no imaginable commercial value. Who would payto hear a message sent to nobody in particular?"

Thomas Watson, Chairman of the Board, IBM - 1943"I think that there may be a world market for maybe five computers"

Ken Olson, Chair, Digital Equipment - 1977"There's no possible reason anyone would ever want to have a computer in their home"

Bill Gates - 1981"640K ought to be enough for everybody"

Margaret Thatcher - 1974 "It will be years - not in my time - before a woman will become Prime Minister."

Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents - 1899."Everything that can be invented has been invented."

A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that carried ten people. "There will never be a bigger plane built."

Business Week, August 2 - 1968 "With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn't likely to carve out a big slice of the US market."

Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859. "Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy."