After Robert Fulton, the so-called inventor of the steam engine, mentioned his idea of a steamship to Napoleon, the French emperor exclaimed, “What, Sir? Would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you excuse me, I have no time to listen to such nonsense.”
Source:
Stephens, John Richard. “Ignorance and Intelligence.” Weird History 101: Tales of Intrigue, Mayhem, and Outrageous Behavior. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. 127. Print.
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