Most Hilariously Wrong Technology Predictions of All Time
Some people have made bold predictions about the future of technology. Here are some of the failed predictions that are most shockingly bad and hilarious at the same time.
Why did he specifically choose New York and Paris? It makes sense for him not to believe that a flying machine could cross the ocean, but why did he pick these two specific cities as destinations? Also, the first flying machine to cross the ocean was a hot air balloon.
I sincerely hope that people nowadays aren't as naive and don't think that what we have today is the best we can do. Guys, there will be new things - things that will far outdo what we have now.
The first flight from New York to Paris was actually only seven years after he made this prediction, in 1927.
C.T. Bridgman, President of Michigan Savings Bank, told this to Horace Rackham, who wanted to know whether to invest in Ford Motor Company.
But Rackham's intuition was obviously better, and despite the bank's advice, he bought 50 shares of Ford stock and became one of the original stockholders, company lawyer, chairman, etc.
Reality: In 2010, there were over one billion cars in the world. And there were only about 58 million horses.
Cars are faster, and the USA ended up investing in paved roads, so horses aren't often seen as basic transportation.
That was until the internet was created. Now nobody can live without it.
Clearly, this man underestimated the genius of Nikola Tesla. Now, over 90% of the power used throughout the world utilizes AC electricity.
Of course he said that. He had a motive against Nikola Tesla. Thankfully, his efforts didn't prevent the existence of AC power.
Mr. Thomas Edison, AC/DC, and their fans disagree! Alternating current (AC) is half of their name!
Also, home and office outlets are almost always AC.
Just think - it was this kind of attitude that held back our ability to understand our own bodies. We couldn't have gone on thinking that diseases came from bad air forever. Well, we could have, but it would have ultimately hurt mankind.
This gives me so much hope for any idea I've ever had shut down.
Lord Kelvin was an eminent physicist famous for:
1. Devising the absolute temperature scale, now called the 'Kelvin scale.'
2. Formulating the second law of thermodynamics.
3. Working to install telegraph cables under the Atlantic.
And now they're a primary source of transportation.
Christmas decorations (lights in particular) would horrify Mr. Henry Morton...
Most of the things these people said are absolutely stupid and illogical when you really think about the benefits of the subjects at hand.
And now, in 2018, an estimated 4 billion people have cell phones.
I actually hate cellphones! But this prediction would be true...
Haha. Just try telling that to the Air Force.
Charles H. Duell was a commissioner of the U.S. Office of Patents.
I think he deserved to be fired for saying this. How could someone who works for an Office of Patents say it?
It's kind of stupid that he would think this, considering that you can send messages and talk to people in mere minutes on a phone instead of relying on a postman to cross the country just to send a message to someone and then cross back to give you the reply.
William Orton was the President of Western Union. He said this in an internal memo at Western Union.
Reality: Phone books are actually very bulky.
Reasonable for then, to be honest.
Darryl Zanuck was a Hollywood film producer for 20th Century Fox.
The article was entitled "Internet? Bah!"
I can still imagine that there are some idiots alive today who deny or refuse to acknowledge the existence of X-rays.
Haha, hoax! We can even see the gun in this image!
Lee DeForest, the "Father of Radio," had over 180 patents and was a pioneer in the development of sound-on-film recording used for motion pictures.
Who the hell wants to see constant dialogue cards?
H.M. Warner, proud co-founder of Warner Brothers, said this in an era dominated by silent films.
The wireless music box is the RADIO. David Sarnoff wanted to invest in the radio, but his associates were reluctant. The quote above was his associates' answer.
If only this were actually true...
She was a pioneer of radio educational broadcasts.
This picture was taken somewhere in Morocco, obviously in a very poor neighborhood, but look at the satellite TV dishes - they are everywhere!
Thomas Watson (IBM President).
There are approximately 2 billion computers in the world... and IBM helped develop them.