When we think of geniuses and innovators, we usually marvel at the discoveries and inventions they have created that have helped better our society. These people were and are some of the smartest people in our society, we sometimes take whatever they say for granted. We trust these people and what they say because of their vast knowledge and experience in their fields. Well even some of the smartest people throughout history have been wrong from time to time. I’m not talking about a being wrong on some simple things. Some of these people who are revered throughout the world for their genius have made some extremely bold predictions about subjects in their fields. At the time, these people were at the top of their fields, so we had no reason to doubt what they said. As time has passed however, many of these predictions have been proven completely wrong. This goes to show you just how much time can change our thinking and understanding of certain subjects and concepts around the world. Check out these 16 smart people’s horrible predictions.
1. There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will every be obtainable. It would be that the atom would have to be shattered at will. – Albert Einstein
2. The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atom is talking moonshine. – Ernest Rutherford
3. There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home. – Ken Olson
4. There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service from inside the United States. – T. Craven
5. A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere. – New York Times
6. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. – Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist.
7.How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense. – Napoleon Bonaparte
8. Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality in 10 years – Alex Lewyt
9. The cinema is little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want to see is flesh and blood on the stage. – Charlie Chaplin
10. The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys. – Sir William Preece.
11. We will never make a 32 bit operating system. – Bill Gates
12. I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea. – HG Wells
13. There will never be a bigger plant built. – A Boeing engineer
14. Fooling around with alternating current is just a waste of time. Nobody will use it, ever. – Thomas Edison
15. When the Paris Exhibition (of 1878) closes, electric light will close with it and no more will be heard of it. – Oxford professor
16. The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular? – Associates of David Sarnoff
Those are some pretty horribly inaccurate predictions. At the time however, they probably seemed quite plausible. Technology has advanced at an exponential rate the past 100 years. It isn’t that far-fetched that these people believed this, because the technology and understanding of science at the time didn’t support these theories.