Lessons on keeping an Open Mind

[Wolverine]

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

---Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Patent Office:1899

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible."

---A Yale business prof in respones to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service.(Smith went on to found FedEx)

"But what... is it good for?"

---Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value."

---Western Union internal memo, 1876

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable whos falling on his face and not Gary Cooper."

---Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the role of Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind

[john8pies]

"Guitar, especially electric guitar music, will never catch on"

"Sorry Mr Epstein but we don`t think your Beatles have a chance of making it in the music industry" (Decca records executive, 1 January 1963)

[beyelzu]

I would just like to point out that sometimes it is a good idea to keep a less than wide open mind. The us patent office has a policy of immediate rejection for any perpetual motion machine as it violates laws of physics.

Having an open mind is good thing, but extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.