|
Although we find the statement patently absurd, it sure does pop up everywhere. But it appears to be yet another legend. The story that's most often told is that in 1899 the head of the U.S. Patent Office sent his resignation to President McKinley urging the closing of the office because "everything that could be invented has been invented." It's been told and retold so often that even President Reagan used it in a speech. The "quote" is often attributed to Charles H. Duell, who was Commissioner of Patents
in 1899. However, according to The Great Idea Finder, Duell was far from pessimistic about the future of new inventions and patents. He even encouraged Congress to improve the patent system. The Skeptical Inquirer agrees, adding information on another Patent Office commissioner whose statements may have been taken out of context. In a 1843 letter to Congress, Henry L. Ellsworth emphasized the rapid growth in the number of patents and stated that he expected patent activity to increase. Somehow, his statements may have been misconstrued. So why is the statement so widely quoted, er, misquoted? Maybe because it illustrates so well the
inaccuracy of predictions or the limitations of the imagination. And that could also be said of those who use it.
|
