Op-Ed: The Internet will fail and the TV will never compete with radio

Man has always tried to do his best to advance technology against all odds. Here are some incorrect predictions that'll leave you baffled.

After seeing a link to an article on msn.com's home page, I thought it'd be fitting to make a list of my own here on Digital Journal of the most incorrect assumptions about technology. As you look at these quotes now, you can't help but think, "What were these people saying?" But, in their time, what they said seemed completely feasible. Just look at 15th-century monk Trithemius who once wrote, "Printed books will never be the equivalent of handwritten codices." And, just think, somebody now may be saying printed books will never disappear. But, with eBooks and devices such as the iPad, one could only imagine the possibilities. 10. "A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere." — New York Times, 1936. Of course, this prediction was published; there had to have been countless other prominent figures, even in that industry, who must have scoffed at the idea of reaching the moon. After all, it was the 1930s. 9. "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." — Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, president of the British Royal Society, 1895. Flying in the air must have been a dream to some and an impossibility to others back in the late 1800s. This concept has been most recently revisited in the remake movie: Around the World in 80 Days. Lord Kelvin was featured in the film. 8. "TV will never be a serious competitor for radio because people must sit and keep their eyes glued on a screen; the average American family hasn't time for it." — New York Times, 1939 There's not a whole lot to say about this. Television is one of the top ten inventions of all-time; probably top three, along with the telephone and automobile. 7. "This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." — A memo at Western Union, 1878 (or 1876). The telephone has, of course, since gone wireless, and we ask ourselves today, "Where would we be without it?" Put your cell phone away for an entire week and you'll see how difficult it is to get things done. And, without any phone at all, the modern world as we know it might as well be referred to as the Stone Age. Also, what on earth would we do without catchy songs (i.e. Lady Gaga's Telephone)? 6. "Everything that can be invented has been invented." — Charles H. Duell, U.S. patent office official, 1899. Was Mr. Duell wrong? Well, check out this list of inventions and see how many appeared after 1899. That'll give you a rough idea. I bet Duell regrets the remark, especially if he saw the absolute marvels of shopping carts and automatic doors at his local supermarket. 5. "I am tired of all this sort of thing called science here ... We have spent millions in that sort of thing for the last few years, and it is time it should be stopped." — Simon Cameron, U.S. Senator, on the Smithsonian Institute, 1901. This 'science' thing has proven to be quite an asset. That one German fellow did quite well with it. 4. "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" — H. M. Warner, co-founder of Warner Brothers, 1927. Apparently millions upon millions of people who are willing to spend millions upon millions of dollars. Take a look at a list of the highest-grossing films of all-time. Note: James Cameron directed the top two. 3. "The truth is, no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher, and no computer network will change the way government works." — Clifford Stoll, Newsweek, 1995 The accuracy of his statement must burn him to this very day. Why, according to Mr. Stoll, I would not be able to share this information with you! Stoll may just be the last daily newspaper subscriber in America. 2. "The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903. If the world, especially America, were to go without cars, a collective gasp, followed by sobs, would be heard throughout the nation. Ride horses everywhere? What are we, cowboys? 1. "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." — Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977. To this, I simply say, does Mr. Olson own a personal computer now?