25-02-2022, 10:55 PM
(25-02-2022, 09:59 PM)Butty Brennan Wrote: TIL that some of the top scientists of the day were saying that a powered human flight was impossible right up until the Wright brothers did it. Then the scientists said 'oh but he will never be able to do it again with a passenger'.
This sort of thing crops up again and again
Towards the end of his life Lord Kelvin ( he of 'degrees Kelvin' etc ) came out with
"There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement."
A broadly similar thing came up in recent times at a US Senate subcommittee hearing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he0-SP-BnCQ ( Its long and tedious )
( When I came across this I had to check that the video wasnt a parody and was in fact a genuine recording.)