Inventors Memes

Ah yes, the classic inventor's shortsightedness. Charles Babbage built the first mechanical computer but thought it was just a fancy calculator. Meanwhile, Carl Benz over there invented the automobile but probably figured it was just a horseless carriage for rich people. Both completely missed that they were fundamentally changing civilization. It's like inventing time travel and using it exclusively to make sure your coffee never gets cold. The real genius is often the second person who says "wait a minute..."