picasso’s blog

We’ve all heard predictions about the
future. Sure, sometimes “experts” are right on target, but check out
what they got wrong! Thanks, and enjoy! — Alex

“Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances.” — Dr. Lee DeForest, Inventor of TV

“The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosive.” — Admiral William Leahy, U.S. Atomic Bomb Project

“There is no likehood man can ever tap the power of the atom.” — Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923

“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.” — Popular
Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” — Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with
the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad
that won’t last out the year.” — The editor in charge of business
books for Prentice Hall, 1957

“But what … is it good for?” — Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” — Bill Gates, 1981

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered
as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to
us.” — Western Union internal memo, 1876.

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would
pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” — David Sarnoff’s
associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in
the 1920s.

“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn
better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” — A Yale University
management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing
reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal
Express Corp.)

“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not
Gary Cooper.” — Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading
role in “Gone With The Wind.”

“A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say
America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you
make.” — Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’
Cookies.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” — Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

“If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have done the experiment. The
literature was full of examples that said you can’t do this.” –
Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M
“Post-It” Notepads.

“So we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even
built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us?
Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we’ll
come work for you.’ And they said, ‘No.’ So then we went to
Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t
got through college yet.’” — Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on
attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak’s
personal computer.

“Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and
reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against
which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily
in high schools.” — 1921 New York Times editorial about Robert
Goddard’s revolutionary rocket work.

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

“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.” –
Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

“Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.” — Marechal
Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” — Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.” — Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

“The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the
intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon.” — Sir John Eric Ericksen,
British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.

and last but not least…

“Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances.” — Dr. Lee DeForest, Inventor of TV

“The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosive.” — Admiral William Leahy, U.S. Atomic Bomb Project

“There is no likehood man can ever tap the power of the atom.” — Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923

“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.” — Popular
Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” — Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with
the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad
that won’t last out the year.” — The editor in charge of business
books for Prentice Hall, 1957

“But what … is it good for?” — Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” — Bill Gates, 1981

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered
as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to
us.” — Western Union internal memo, 1876.

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would
pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” — David Sarnoff’s
associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in
the 1920s.

“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn
better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” — A Yale University
management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing
reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal
Express Corp.)

“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not
Gary Cooper.” — Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading
role in “Gone With The Wind.”

“A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say
America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you
make.” — Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’
Cookies.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” — Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

“If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have done the experiment. The
literature was full of examples that said you can’t do this.” –
Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M
“Post-It” Notepads.

“So we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even
built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us?
Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we’ll
come work for you.’ And they said, ‘No.’ So then we went to
Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t
got through college yet.’” — Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on
attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak’s
personal computer.

“Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and
reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against
which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily
in high schools.” — 1921 New York Times editorial about Robert
Goddard’s revolutionary rocket work.

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

“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.” –
Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

“Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.” — Marechal
Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” — Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.” — Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

“The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the
intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon.” — Sir John Eric Ericksen,
British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.

and last but not least…