I confess that in 1901 I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for fifty years.
Interpretation
The quote reflects Wilbur Wright's humble acknowledgment of his past skepticism about human flight.
In this quote, Wilbur Wright reminisces about a time when he doubted the feasibility of flight, indicating that innovation and progress often happen faster than we can imagine. It serves as a reminder that great advancements can occur in unexpected ways and that our limitations may be surpassed through determination and ingenuity.
In practice
During a speech on technological advancements, one might quote this to emphasize the unpredictability of progress.
I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then, if possible, add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success.
Men become wise just as they become rich, more by what they save than by what they receive.
The fact that the great scientist believed in flying machines was the one thing that encouraged us to begin our studies.
The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who... looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space... on the infinite highway of the air.
In our interconnected world, novel technology could empower just one fanatic, or some weirdo with a mindset of those who now design computer viruses, to trigger some kind of disaster. Indeed, catastrophe could arise simply from technical misadventure - error rather than terror.
The steam-engine I call fire-demon and great; but it is nothing to the invention of fire.
We monitor many frequencies. We listen always. Came a voice, out of the babel of tongues, speaking to us. It played us a mighty dub.
Silicon Valley today is populated mostly by people who would consider themselves winners of the traditional race. This causes the exclusion of the voices that are vital to a round, robust society. It's beyond gentrification.
By 2029, computers will have emotional intelligence and be convincing as people.
We've been merging with tools since the beginning of human evolution, and arguably, that's one of the things that makes us human beings.
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