Parry O'Brien quote from 1959

[DoubleRBar]

I've learned over the years to not put any limits on any events. Remember that some people said the Titanic was unsinkable?

[Conor Dary]

Very likely the Titanic wouldn't have sunk if it had rammed straight into the iceberg.

[noone]

Very likely the Titanic wouldn't have sunk if it had rammed straight into the iceberg.

Thank you for clarifying that

[Conor Dary]

Thank you for clarifying that

You're welcome....

[Dave]

I think the key thing is "..with current physical standards..". The physical standards improved, so did the distance, including O'Brien's!

Kinda like the much misrepresented quote by Thomas Watson at IBM who supposedly said, " there's only a world market for maybe 5 computers."

But of course, that's not what he actually said. He was referring to to IBM's sales expectations for a certain model of computer before they went out to market where it got orders for 20 or so. I think the lease cost was something in the order of USD 250k annually.

Actually, I believe that was Ken Olson at DEC.

[Davidokun]

Actually, I believe that was Ken Olson at DEC.

Olsen said, "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." He was discussing home automation, not personal computing.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ken-olsen/

[Dave]

Olsen said, "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." He was discussing home automation, not personal computing.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ken-olsen/

I stand corrected. Neither one of them really grasped what they were building.

[El Toro]

I stand corrected. Neither one of them really grasped what they were building.

That's a bold statement!

So the guy that implemented IBM's transition from mechanical devices to electronic computing so that it became the biggest computing company in the world and the guy from MIT that started DEC from scratch and built it into the second largest computing company in the world, didn't really have a grasp on computers and computing?

Like I said, a bold statement.

[Dave]

That's a bold statement!

So the guy that implemented IBM's transition from mechanical devices to electronic computing so that it became the biggest computing company in the world and the guy from MIT that started DEC from scratch and built it into the second largest computing company in the world, didn't really have a grasp on computers and computing?

Like I said, a bold statement.

the statement is understanding the market. Of course they had a grip on what they were building, but not necessarily how successful it was going to be.

[rechner]

es ist wie überall das Thema der möglichen Leistungsgrenzen. Alle Vorhersagen dieser Art sind falsch gewesen. Allein der technische Fortschritt ( neu jetzt wieder die verbsserten Langlaufspikes ) sorgt dafür, das immer wieder die Weltrekorde verbessert werden.

[Atticus]

es ist wie überall das Thema der möglichen Leistungsgrenzen. Alle Vorhersagen dieser Art sind falsch gewesen. Allein der technische Fortschritt ( neu jetzt wieder die verbsserten Langlaufspikes ) sorgt dafür, das immer wieder die Weltrekorde verbessert werden.

or (from GT, heavily edited) - regarding future World Records:

On the subject of future possible advances, most predictions have been wrong. The technical progress alone ensures that the world records are improved again and again.

[LNO]

es ist wie überall das Thema der möglichen Leistungsgrenzen. Alle Vorhersagen dieser Art sind falsch gewesen. Allein der technische Fortschritt ( neu jetzt wieder die verbsserten Langlaufspikes ) sorgt dafür, das immer wieder die Weltrekorde verbessert werden.

And when will die Weltrekorde in wDT be improved?

[Atticus]

And when will die Weltrekorde in wDT be improved?

76.80 (252') . . . not for a long, long, looooong time.