Talk:Failed predictions
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This article was nominated for deletion on 5 June 2006. The result of the discussion was no consensus. |
— scientists may make inopportune predictions based on faulty data or conservatism.
What is conservatism suppose to mean in this sentence ? Smith03 02:02, 24 Sep 2003 (UTC)
- I think what is meant is intellectual conservatism - lack of openness to new ideas. As in Clarke's First Law.
The link to political conservatism was probably just the result of someone putting link brackets around "conservatism" and not bothering to check that the resulting link was an appropriate one. —Paul A 02:32, 24 Sep 2003 (UTC)
I'm pretty sure that "640K ought to be enough for anybody" one is an urban legend (and Urbanlegends.com agrees) Adam Bishop 02:04, 24 Sep 2003 (UTC)
- I agree, I'm removing it as it was never a prediction but something attributed to Gates after the fact. Blorg 14:27, 3 Oct 2004 (UTC)
- Comment Perhaps there should be a section on the page about predictions that never actually took place. It could be mentioned that they are just urban legends. That would, at least, prevent new people from re-adding them again. Ackatsis 09:05, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
The 1985 quote is technically accurate. In 1985, machines could have done any work a man could do. It wouldn't have been cost effecient or effective, but it was certanily possible, in theory, given the nature of programmable computers at the time.
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[edit] Future addition
"If you're looking for the next big thing, stop looking. There's no such thing as the next big thing," Nicholas Donofrio, IBM's executive vice president of innovation and technology; March 9, 2006 [1]
I have a felling this quote will be suitable for this article before long. Seano1 20:53, 4 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Removed quote
I removed the following quote because it was un-attributed and it is not really a prediction but a comment.
- "There is only one thing humans can do that instruments can't do and I don't understand why anyone would like to do that on that altitude."
Seano1 22:36, 4 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Removed quote
I removed the following quote because it was not a prediction, but rather a promise made by George Bush that he failed to live up to.
- "Read my lips: NO NEW TAXES." -- George Bush, 1988.
Ackatsis 02:22, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
- I agree. We have to be careful of quotes that may not have been real predictions, because this list occasionally borders on making fun of the person who made the quote, which is not neutral point of view. --Grace 09:01, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Removed Quote
I removed the following quote
- "This antitrust thing will blow over." -- Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.
because it seems to have actually been correct. Seano1 20:32, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Martin Luther's Views On Books
Does this strike anyone as a false prediction? It's more of a statement than a prediction... In any case, I deleted it. Ackatsis 10:40, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
- "The multitude of books is a great evil. There is no limit to this fever for writing; every one must be an author; some out of vanity, to acquire celebrity and raise up a name, others for the sake of mere gain." -- Martin Luther, German Reformation leader, Table Talk, 1530s(?).
[edit] Tanks =
I am far from sure about the "Fourth Lord of the Admiralty" quote. Partly, because I have never heard of the office and partly because it was the Admiralty that was developing tanks at the time - it was one of Churchill's pet projects.--MuttleyCroo 21:36, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Wait for 'the future'!
If this is an article about failed predictions, and you cannot know for sure that a prediction has failed or not until the date it talks about has passed, then it's illogical to divide the "History of doomsday predictions" here into "past" and "future"! Everything listed here has to have already NOT happened (in the past)! So, you'll have to wait for 2012 to see if the predictions about that year have failed or not! Kreachure 22:08, 30 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Railroads?
Deleted:
"No one will pay good money to get from Berlin to Potsdam in one hour when he can ride his horse there in one day for free." -- King Wilhelm I of Germany, on hearing of the invention of trains, 1864.
Possibly the quote was misattributed, but I'm almost certain the Germans had heard of railroads before, since the first public steam locomotive railway opened some 39 years before.
[edit] Unverifiable claim
- 1889
- March 8 Christ would return according to Russian Mennonite Claas Epp, Jr.[1]
There is no way to check whether this fact has happened or not, and the name of the article is failed predictions. I´ll delete it myself if no one shows any source.A.Z. 22:12, 5 December 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Removed Quote
"July 5: X-Day according to the Church of the SubGenius".... The Church of the SubGenius is a parody religion, and this "prediction" was never to be taken seriously. --Jquarry 04:30, 23 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Split Article
Most of this article is bunk. It lists not failed predictions, but rather the opposite -- statements made by so-called "experts" denouncing something that actually did come to pass. I think another article should be created called "gaffs" (or something) and filled with these statements. --Jquarry 04:42, 23 February 2007 (UTC)
