The Five Most Inaccurate Statements In History

In many cases, the truth is not absolute. It is a dynamic reality. What is true today may not be true tomorrow. It is especially relevant with everything related to science and is something that many people forget. This is why they make categorical statements that later turn out to be very wrong.

There are many “absolute truths” that have been torn to shreds in the development of knowledge and reality. In fact, humanity has burned those who dare to say things that they consider false on fire or imprisoned them. Later we often find that these “heretics” were right.

In general, intellectual or political figures are those who dare to make categorical statements and believe that they are telling the truth. When they do this, they forget that even as intelligent as humans are, we often only manage to understand part of a reality. It is part of it all, yes, but its incomplete nature leads us to erroneous conclusions.

It is always good to remember to think twice before making any kind of absolute statement. It’s worth having some healthy skepticism about things you think are true. If not, you risk ending up as those who came up with some of the most famous inaccurate statements.

Flying is impossible – one of the most inaccurate statements

Lord Kelvin, head of the Royal Society of London, said that  “ He did not think he was speculating. The studies at that time “proved” it.

The Wright brothers knew about bicycles, but nothing about Lord Kelvin’s expert opinion. That’s why they had no problem experimenting. And eventually, as you know, they invented the plane.

The “uselessness” of the radio

“The wireless music box has no conceivable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one special? ” We attribute this quote to the company David Sarnoff and Associates. It is believed that they made this statement when someone suggested that they invest in radio in the 1920s.

They had no idea that they wanted to make history with the monumental mistake. This is certainly one of the most erroneous statements in human history. We have no idea what they thought later when radio changed the world.

The British do not need the phone

“Americans need the phone, but we do not. We have a book of budget boys. ” When William Preece, a mechanical engineer in the British Postal Service, heard about the telephone in 1878, he reacted in this way. He was convinced that he heard of a useless invention.

This happens a lot with bosses and supervisors. They are used to controlling their surroundings and making things their own. This arrogance leads to error, just as in this famous case.

When television had no future

Darryl Zanuck was a film expert in the United States. In 1946, people told him about television. He was sure that the invention would fail. One of his claims was that people “will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.”

This is a good example of wishful thinking. Old Zanuck was probably afraid that the new invention would take people away from the movies. He was right about that, but not about the future of television. We have also seen that his fears were initially unfounded. The truth is that movies and cinemas are still popular today.

Rocket post

Arthur Summerfield was a North American politician. He also served as one of the directors of the United States Postal Service. He was a curious and optimistic man who also made one of the most thoughtless statements in history.

In 1959 he said the following: “Before man reaches the moon, your mail will be delivered within hours from New York to Australia by guided missiles. We are on the threshold of rocket launch. ” In fact, Summerfield sent a letter attached to a submarine rocket. Yet his little invention never bore fruit. Instead, he created history with his impressive blunder.

Truth is the key to knowledge

The more you know, the more you should realize that there is so much you do not know. Excessive certainty in your opinions and knowledge leads you to make mistakes that may be on the verge of the absurd. The truth is a difficult and elusive thing. It is important to remember that for the most part we can only see a small part of the whole truth.