25 Biggest False Predictions Concerning Technology

In a Western Union internal memo issued in year 1876, it was published—“This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” More than a century since this statement was first published; there is no denying that it was a failed prediction. The telephone has been one of the most important inventions to have ever been introduced in the modern world, and even now that mobile phones are more widely used, the value of telephones in the corporate world can never be underrated.

Mr. Lord Kevin, the former president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, argued in 1833—“X-rays will prove to be a hoax.” Back then, x-ray technology was just discovered by Rontgen. Little did Lord Kevin know that a century after, this invention would be deemed as among the most valuable discoveries in the field of science. X-rays today are generally used for digital imaging, where bone and organ structures are examined to identify infirmities.

A British writer famous for his writings in the science fiction genre, H.G. Wells once stated his view of submarines—“ I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea”. While submarines today are used to perform specialized functions both in expeditions and military operations, it was a total mistake for Wells to deem it useless.

Sometime in 1959, multinational technology and consulting corporation IBM released a statement saying that “The world potential market for copying machines is 5000 at most .It had no market large enough to justify production”. Today, photocopying machines are among the most valuable machines that cannot be absent in any business setting. One can never imagine a school, a commercial or government office operating while devoid of a photocopier.

Renowned actor, producer and comedienne Charlie Chaplin claimed in 1916, “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”. Stage plays used to be the most popular, but since the dawn of cinemas, going to movie houses have outshone watching theaters as a form of recreation. And the fad over cinemas is never as fleeting as Chaplin thought it would be. Until today, more and more people discover the fun in watching their favorite actors on the silver screen.

Irish scientific writer Dionysius Lardner, the one who popularized science and technology, once made a prediction that travelling through rail would be impossible—“Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia”. Since the dawn of the 18th century, however, several rail systems that provide passenger transport service to people have become so popular because of their speed and the convenience that they provide to commuters.

Audion inventor Lee De Forest claimed in 1926–“To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth – all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances”. In 1962, Neil Armstrong and two others were the first men to step on the moon and come back to the earth alive.

American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison, in his aim to mock rival George Westinghouse, remarked in 1889–“Fooling around with alternating current is just a waste of time. Nobody will use it, ever”. Years after, his statement proved to be a fallacious one, since alternating current (AC) is now the form of electric power widely used in the distribution of energy to businesses and residences.

Two decades ago, Sir William James Erasmus Wilson, a British physician and a professor at Oxford University, foretold, “When the Paris Exhibition closes, electric light will close with it and no more will be heard of it”. Back then, over six million visitors would come to Paris to witness the spectacular event where the colourful lights flooding the city were among the major attractions. Today, one can never imagine the world without electricity.

American radio and television pioneer David Sarnoff was once asked to create a music box. In 1921, he remarked–“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?”.Sarnoff never realized at the time that there could ever be no end to ways through which sound could actually travel. By the 20th century, people have gone so gaga over wireless devices.

Sometime in 1932, renowned German theoretical physicist and inventor Albert Einstein claimed–“There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will”. Today, the obtainment of nuclear energy is used in the creation of nuclear energy, medicine, and even weapons of war. Also, nuclear power is used today in heat and electricity generation.

New York Governor Martin Van Buren wrote to the US President in 1830–“Dear Mr. President: The canal system of this country is being threatened by a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads’ … As you may well know, Mr. President, ‘railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ‘engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed”. Today, railroads are among the most convenient modes of transportation of the modern man, and they can ride them without breaking their bones.

In 1977, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) president, chairman and founder Ken Oslon issued his statement against computers saying–“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” Today, nearly every home has a computer in it, and one can only imagine how difficult life would turn out to be without computers and the internet, both for students and employees, individuals and families.

Once in 1902, the chief of the Michigan Savings Bank advised the lawyer of Henry Ford, the developer and manufacturer of the first affordable automobile, “The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad”. He advised Ford never to invest his money in the creation of automobiles since according to him, they were just a whim that would soon pass. But it is far-fetched to imagine modern-day thoroughfares dominated by horses and not cars.

An engineer of multinational aerospace and defense corporation Boeing once remarked “There will never be a bigger plane built,” just right after he got off from his first flight of 247, a double engine plane that can accommodate up to ten passengers. Today, airplanes come in a variety of sizes and are among the most popular means of both domestic and international transportation. A mini plane called airbus can hold a minimum of 60 people.

The president of vacuum cleaner manufacturer Lewis Corporation, Sir Alex Lewis, predicted in the 1990’s that “Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality in 10 years.” It has been more than a decade, but the reality of these nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners is still naught. There are not even ongoing studies trying to prove that such an invention will ever be possible.

One of the monthly issues of New York Times Magazine released on January 13, 1920 foretold–“A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.” This was an editor’s remark on the then prevalent talks about the possible launch of rocket ships to explore the outer space sometime in the future. In 1969, the prediction was broken as Apollo 11 was launched and went on its way to the moon.

When asked about his future prospect of communication satellites in 1961, US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Tunis Craven claimed, “There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service inside the United States.” This was eventually proven false, when a communication satellite named Syncom 3 successfully transmitted communication signals from Japan to the United States during the 1964 Olympics.

Several years ago, American business magnate and programmer Bill Gates hilariously predicted, “We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” The famous chief operating officer of Microsoft Corporation proved himself wrong when Microsoft released graphical operating system Windows 98 on May 15, 1998. It is a hybrid 16/32 bit operating system that has an MS-DOS based boot stage.

American film producer and executive Darryl Zanuck said in 1946, “Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night”. More than 65 years since the time he issued the statement, watching movies and shows on television still seems to be the most basic form of recreational activity there is.

Canadian-American astronomer who lived until the end of the 18th century, Simon Newcomb, predicted before he died–“Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” This turned out to be a wrong calculation, as the renowned Wright brothers successfully designed and built power aircraft named Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903, just 18 months since the prediction was made by Newcomb.

In 1800, French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte remarked, “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.” Today, large buoyant watercrafts are known to sail through the deep even with the presence of strong winds and roaring tempests.

More of a true predictions that no one else believed, Lee De Forest, an American inventor, once remarked–“It would be possible to transmit the human voice across the Atlantic before many years”. He made the prediction sometime in July 1913, when he sold the stock of his own radio telephone company (triode vacuum tube patent) to AT&T and the Bell System. Today, trans-oceanic telecommunications cables criss cross the Earth.

In year 1878, the British Post Office proudly claimed–“The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.” Back then, telephones were not as popular yet as they already are today. That time, the American Post Office was already using telephone lines for fast communication, but the British Post Office remained firm that their messenger boys were more than enough to be in touch.

Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy during the Second World War in 1945, Admiral William D. Leahy told President Truman as they were about to launch the atomic bomb–“This is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. The bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.” Soon after it was launched, the atomic bomb petered out.