Prognostications

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

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

The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a C, the idea must be feasible. A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smiths paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. Smith went on to found FedEx.

Who the hell wants to hear actors talk? Harry Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

Im just glad it will be Clark Gable falling on his face and not Gary Cooper Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in Gone With the Wind

We dont like their sound, and guitar music is on its way out. Decca Recording Company, rejecting The Beatles, 1962

Heavier than air flying machines are impossible. Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895

There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home. Ken Olson, President, Chairman and Founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977

If I had thought about it, I wouldnt have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you cant do this. Spencer Silver, on the work that led to the unique adhesives on 3M PostIt notepads

The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a sent to nobody in particular? David Sarnoffs associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s

Everything that can be invented has been invented. Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Patent Office, 1899

So we went to Atari and said, Hey weve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, what do you think about funding us? Or well give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, well come work for you. And they said, No. So then we went to Hewlett Packard and they said, Hey, we dont need you; you havent even got through college yet. Apple Computer CoFounder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and HP interested in he and Steve Wozniaks personal computer.

Louis Pasteurs theory of germs is ridiculous fiction. Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

You want to have consistent an uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It cant be done. Its just a fact of life. You have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training. Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the unsolvable problem by inventing Nautilus.

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

Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try to find oil? Youre crazy. Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859

640k ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates, CoFounder and CEO of Microsoft, 1981

"Populist" Medicine
The Lay media tends to promote and popularise what we call "Populist" Medicine. Conditions that have no scientific basis become common place and are slowly accepted as actual disease entities. People are constantly being diagnosed with Chronic candidiasis, Yeast allergy or Sugar allergy.
(I added that one)