Charles H. Duell and the IIoT
As my family whiles away their summer in New England, I have been left alone for the second annual What-to-do?-What-to-do?-So-bored-Kinda-Hate-Rochester Extravaganza. And no matter how exciting it sounds, this two week period is no walk in the park. I am left with the hefty list of responsibilities that includes, but is not limited to: watering plants, walking the dog, getting the mail, sleeping, taking out the trash, feeding the dog, driving my dad's car, not closing the door when I make #2, and dancing to ABBA with limited to no inhibitions.
This afternoon, on my way in from walking the dog, being the ever efficient time saving son-of-a-gun that I am, I also swing by the mailbox to wrangle up the letters and posty-cards. Killing two birds with one single stone, as it were.
Rifling through the notes and envelopes, a packet sent by the Illinois Institute of Technology catches my eye. It's for my sister, soon to be a junior in high school, already wildly bombarded by the many surrounding colleges screaming for people to join their quaint little school. Memories begin to flood back to me with the ferocious energy of any gay man presented with the opportunity to hop on board a young Kevin Bacon (am I right, gang!?) but I put them on hold to inspect a cuuuuuurious quote written in laaarge bold letters right on the back of the packet:
"EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE INVENTED HAS BEEN INVENTED"
-Charles H. Duell
Commisioner
U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
What!? What!@? How is that any kind of incentive to apply for a school?
I mean, if there is one frontier that relies on any kind of reach-for-the-stars go-for-the-gold let's-become-the-next-best-thing absolute optimism, isn't it education?
Sure, let's invite people to our college, but at the same time let's put some strange limit on knowlege and ability.
Printing a picture of Richard Nixon fingering the Pillsbury Doughboy while whispering in a tiny speech bubble "We're your last resort!" would have been a better draw.
I mean... reeeeally...
I don't... get it.
This afternoon, on my way in from walking the dog, being the ever efficient time saving son-of-a-gun that I am, I also swing by the mailbox to wrangle up the letters and posty-cards. Killing two birds with one single stone, as it were.
Rifling through the notes and envelopes, a packet sent by the Illinois Institute of Technology catches my eye. It's for my sister, soon to be a junior in high school, already wildly bombarded by the many surrounding colleges screaming for people to join their quaint little school. Memories begin to flood back to me with the ferocious energy of any gay man presented with the opportunity to hop on board a young Kevin Bacon (am I right, gang!?) but I put them on hold to inspect a cuuuuuurious quote written in laaarge bold letters right on the back of the packet:
"EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE INVENTED HAS BEEN INVENTED"
-Charles H. Duell
Commisioner
U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
What!? What!@? How is that any kind of incentive to apply for a school?
I mean, if there is one frontier that relies on any kind of reach-for-the-stars go-for-the-gold let's-become-the-next-best-thing absolute optimism, isn't it education?
Sure, let's invite people to our college, but at the same time let's put some strange limit on knowlege and ability.
Printing a picture of Richard Nixon fingering the Pillsbury Doughboy while whispering in a tiny speech bubble "We're your last resort!" would have been a better draw.
I mean... reeeeally...
I don't... get it.
posted by AHaynes at 8:06 PM
2 Comments:
IRONY ALERT! many many things HAVE been invented since then, so she should not listen to nay-sayers, even among the experts, who want to keep her away from her dreams of inventing inventive as-yet-uninvented inventions. ANYTHING is possible at University.
Yes, that is true. And, perhaps, that is even what the school was going for. But if you've seen the packet, the quote fills up the entire side, while the quoter is a very tiny side-note.
It's good times.
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