Woeful short-sightedness about technology progress

- "Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction." -- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at the University of 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.

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

- "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

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

- "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.

- "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

- "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." -- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

- "640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981

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

- "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" -- H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.

- "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