#Thomas edison 5 cent nickelolians series#

It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture. He continues, after the disconcerting prophecy quoted above: вЂњScholars will be instructed through the eye. Edison himself has no doubts as to coming educational matters. вЂњBooks will soon be obsolete in the public schools.вЂќ вЂ“ Thomas A. The remark about books was labeled a вЂњdisconcerting prophecyвЂќ : In December 1914 EdisonвЂ™s forecasts regarding education were printed in a Syracuse, New York newspaper. Our school system will be completely changed inside of ten years.вЂќ It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion-picture. He says further that вЂњscholars will be instructed entirely through the eye. O joy! Books in the public school will soon be obsolete, Edison predicts. Also, the quoted words were slightly altered by the insertion of the word вЂњentirelyвЂќ : The writer may have been suggesting unhappiness or skepticism.

Segments of this interview were reprinted in other newspapers such as the вЂњCleveland Plain DealerвЂќ of Cleveland, Ohio, and вЂњThe StateвЂќ of Columbia, South Carolina in September 1913.ДЄlso, in September 1913 a newspaper in Oregon restated EdisonвЂ™s predictions but prefaced them with an interjection that apparently was satirical. The future will see motion pictures more or less in the home, while in clubs, in theaters and in motion picture houses they will be most popular. The expenses per capita are extremely small. The cheapness of film entertainment is due to its popularity among the many. вЂњI do not think every home will have its own projecting machine, although the wealthier people will possess them, no doubt. It proves conclusively the worth of motion pictures in chemistry, physics and other branches of study, making the scientific truths, difficult to understand from text books, plain and clear to children. We have been studying and reproducing the life of the fly, mosquito, silk weaving moth, brown moth, gypsy moth, butterflies, scale and various other insects, as well as chemical chrystallization. вЂњWe have been working for some time on the school pictures. Our school system will be completely changed inside of ten years.

Scholars will be instructed through the eye. вЂњBooks,вЂќ declared the inventor with decision, вЂњwill soon be obsolete in the public schools. вЂњWhat is your estimation of the future educational value of pictures?вЂќ I asked. The well-known Wizard of Menlo Park was asked to speculate about the future.

#Thomas edison 5 cent nickelolians series#

The interview article was part of a series of stories in the newspaper about the вЂњEvolution of the Motion PictureвЂќ. Here is the pull-quote that was displayed adjacent to an interview with Edison published in The New York Dramatic Mirror in July 1913 :Д«ooks will soon be obsolete in the public schools. Edison pioneered the development of machines for displaying motion pictures, and he was confident that these devices would be used extensively to help teach students. Quote Investigator: These words are very close to a phrase that was reportedly spoken by Thomas Edison in 1913. Is this quote accurate? What was the larger context? But I came across a fascinating false prediction made by the most important innovator of the previous century:Д«ooks will soon be obsolete in the schools. Some futurists believe that paper books will be phased out and replaced by electronic books.

Dear Quote Investigator: Ebooks have surged in popularity since Amazon introduced the Kindle and Apple released the iPad.