BERGE BEDEK ONS ….

Om die geskiedenisboeke te haal met die een of ander onvergeetlike flater is ‘n spesiale soort kuns. Gister, eergister had ek dit oor uitgewers wat internasionale trefferboeke van die hand gewys het. Minstens een van die allerbeste mistastings is egter op die rekening van ‘n koerantman. Laat my dit maar erken.

Hy was die beriggewer van die New York Times op wie ‘n prototipe van TV by 1939 se Wêreldhandeltentoonstelling geen indruk gemaak het nie. “Die probleem met TV,” het hy geskryf, “is dat mense moet sit met hul oë vasgenael op ‘n skerm; die gemiddelde Amerikaanse gesin het nie daarvoor tyd nie.”

Hier’s nog ‘n persoonlike gunsteling: “Ons hou nie van hul klank nie, en kitaarmusiek is buitendien op pad uit.” – die Decca Recording Co. toe hy die Beatles in 1962 die deur gewys het.

Die volgende paar loeloes gee ek sommer in die oorspronklike Engels weer – dan spaar dit my die moeite om te vertaal, en dit klink boonop meer outentiek.

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 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.

“Who the h*** wants to hear actors talk?” — H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

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

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.” — Drillers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist in his project to drill for oil in 1859.

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

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” — Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction”. — Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at 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.

“No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris.” — Orville Wright.

Nou-ja, ‘n mens kan darem ook nie altyd reg wees nie, kan jy?