Specifically, “I have not the smallest molecule of faith in aerial navigation other than ballooning or of expectation of good results from any of the trials we hear of.” (Wikiquote seems to imply the “heavier than air” quotation is a misquotation.) And Kelvin wrote that in 1896, when the Wright brothers were building bicycles rather than flying machines; they didn’t start on the latter until1899.
(I upvoted the parent comment because its basic point is sound, but I don’t want to look like I’m upvoting the debatable history.)
In case anyone was wondering, I had changed the wording of the part satt quoted before he or she posted this comment, because I thought it sounded kind of misleading (which apparently I was right about). Good catch on the possible misquote, that was from memory.
Specifically, “I have not the smallest molecule of faith in aerial navigation other than ballooning or of expectation of good results from any of the trials we hear of.” (Wikiquote seems to imply the “heavier than air” quotation is a misquotation.) And Kelvin wrote that in 1896, when the Wright brothers were building bicycles rather than flying machines; they didn’t start on the latter until 1899.
(I upvoted the parent comment because its basic point is sound, but I don’t want to look like I’m upvoting the debatable history.)
In case anyone was wondering, I had changed the wording of the part satt quoted before he or she posted this comment, because I thought it sounded kind of misleading (which apparently I was right about). Good catch on the possible misquote, that was from memory.
I need to learn to Google more quickly!