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Inspiration
The Power of Possibility: Redefining Limits
Making the impossible possible
Have you ever thought, “No one could ever do that!” or “It’s impossible!” If so, you are not alone. Throughout history, many have boldly claimed certain things are impossible, only to be proven wrong. This teaches us a crucial lesson: what’s impossible for some is possible for others. So, what distinguishes those who say “it’s impossible” from those who proudly state “it’s done”? The answer lies in humanity’s relentless pursuit to turn the impossible into the ordinary.
The impossible becoming possible
Humanity thrives on making the seemingly impossible ordinary. Consider the countless inventions that once seemed unattainable — everything from the light bulb to the airplane, once dismissed as fantasies, are now integral to daily life.
For instance, a renowned British scientist, Lord Kelvin, declared in 1895, “I can state flatly that heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” Similarly, Thomas Edison, One of the world’s most prolific and famous inventors, remarked, “It is apparent to me that the possibilities of the aeroplane, which two or three years ago were thought to hold the solution to the [flying machine] problem, have been exhausted, and that we must turn elsewhere.” And in 1902, Simon Newcomb, a Canadian-American polymath, stated, “Flight by machines heavier than air is impractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.”
Thankfully, the Wright Brothers ignored their doubts and achieved the first powered flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Another example of something seemingly impossible was the development of the light bulb. In 1880, Henry Morton, president of the Stevens Institute of Technology, dismissed Edison’s attempts as “…a conspicuous failure.” Yet, that same year, Edison patented the incandescent lamp, revolutionizing electric lighting for households worldwide!
A third example of the impossible being made possible was when the vacuum tube inventor, Lee DeForest, claimed in 1926 that television was “…commercially and financially… an impossibility, a development of which we need waste little time dreaming.” He likely made this statement because…
