Subject:
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Re: Everything has been invented... (was Re: single motor pneumatic pump and switch)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.fun
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Date:
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Mon, 23 Oct 2000 17:23:34 GMT
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Viewed:
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125 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.fun, Dave Schuler writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.fun, Constantine Hannaher writes:
> > This is a myth. It was supposed to be the Commissioner of Patents, but no • such
> > letter, speech, or testimony to this effect is to be found.
>
> Good call!
>
> http://www.urbanlegends.com/misc/patent_office_ul.html
Of course, upon further digging, I've found these references:
In 1875 the Director of the United States Patent Office sent in his
resignation, and advised the administration that his department be eliminated,
because he was convinced there was nothing left to invent.
--from http://www.funtrivia.com/History/Patents.html
This is an undocumented bit of trivia, put forth in the same vein as "duck
quacks do not echo" and "someone who works with the brother of a buddy of mine
knows a guy who met somebody whose kidney was stolen in Mexico," in that there
is no definitive source listed, but the item is presented as fact.
Another article is:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/popmech/sci/0001STRSHM.html
which also cites the quotation but gives no source.
Also, there's the much-refuted:
http://orca.st.usm.edu/paprzycka/spr97/sci/twisci.html
Whether or not the patent guy said it, it seems that many others have said
it themselves!
Dave!
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