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The Origin of Murphy's Law

LauraW writes "HotAIR, the web site of the Annals of Improbable Research , is publishing a fascinating series on the Origin of Murphy's Law. It turns out there really was a Murphy, and the story of his law involves rocket sleds, Chuck Yeager, and Edwards Air Force Base. The article covers all these topics and more, and includes interviews with Yeager, the son of Murphy (really), and several surviving members of the project that inspired the law."

25 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. As my uncle used to say... by proj_2501 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Murphy was an optimist.

    1. Re:As my uncle used to say... by Glock27 · · Score: 2, Funny
      Murphy was an optimist.

      My favorite variation is:

      "Nature sides with the hidden flaw."

      :-)

      --
      Galileo: "The Earth revolves around the Sun!"
      Score: -1 100% Flamebait
    2. Re:As my uncle used to say... by Bob+McCown · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yea, but its true. If anything can go wrong, it w.#*kl* 74,D8 38Fd3kds
      NO CARRIER

  2. More elegant? by Brahmastra · · Score: 5, Funny
    To others however the Law is a pessimistic comment that underscores, albeit in more elegant terms, that shit happens.
    Does anyone else agree with me that "shit happens" is a much better way of saying it?
  3. But the site is Slashdotted, right? by TerryAtWork · · Score: 4, Funny


    Thereby proving the law!

    --
    It's Christmas everyday with BitTorrent.
  4. Shameless TV Quote by GaveUp · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Bad people are punished by societies laws and good people are punished by Murphy's Law." --George, Dead Like Me

  5. One of my favorites.... by SailFly · · Score: 5, Funny


    If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee -- that will do them in.

    1. Re:One of my favorites.... by beppu · · Score: 5, Funny

      If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee -- that will do them in.


      But wouldn't that make them a Beowulf cluster?

  6. another murphy's law by GarbanzoBean · · Score: 5, Funny

    If a server can be slashdotted, it definetly will be.

  7. It must be true! by mulhall · · Score: 5, Funny

    I read it on Slashdot!

  8. Slashdot's Law. by grub · · Score: 4, Funny


    "Anytime a camera is present, someone will stretch open their bottom."

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  9. Re:Who was Sod then? by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Funny

    Noun. 1. A contemptible or objectionable person.

    2. A pitiable person. E.g."He's just had his car stolen and his wife has just run off with the milkman, the poor sod." This use is also be found with the expressions 'poor bastard' and 'poor bugger'.

    * Abb. of the word sodomite.

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  10. My first corollary: Murphy's Law of Packaging by MickLinux · · Score: 5, Funny
    When you're sending out a fragile mailing, be sure to put near the top an identifier that it is the top (with an arrow).

    up ^

    Then, to make things doubly clear, put another identifier near the bottom, with its own arrow:

    dn v

    That way, with up saying up, and dn for down, the UPS (pronounced oops) guys can't get it wrong.

    --
    Correct Horse Battery Staple: 72 bits of entropy. Enter "Correct H" into google. When it generates the phrase, that's
  11. Re:Murphy's Law... by Dr+Caleb · · Score: 5, Funny
    But is there a Mr. Sod in the UK ?

    Sod's his first name. 'Off' is his last.

    I've heard of him :)

    --
    "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
  12. Re:Who was Sod then? by muffen · · Score: 2, Funny

    We are all individuals!

  13. Re:It's true! by c_ollier · · Score: 2, Funny

    I thought Murphy's Laws weren't written by Murphy, but by someone who has the same name...

  14. Bah! by TeknoHog · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was expecting a scientific explanation for Murphy's Law. You know, like conservation laws for energy and momentum are explained from the symmetry of spacetime. If we maintain that Murphy's is a law of physics, there must be a *&^[#%&]$^#%{[[::@;' NO CARRIER

    --
    Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  15. Timing is of the essence by geschild · · Score: 2, Funny

    I've always thought that "Murphy's law" was not precise enough. There's this addition that is needed to make it really work.

    Murphy's law revised:

    "If anything can go wrong, it will. At the worst possible moment."

    Try that one on for size. Proof? Two examples.

    When a wing on an aircraft fails, not too many people will notice, unless the aircraft is flying.

    You don't mind getting butter on your suit too badly, except when it's your new suit, that you just bought yesterday for this really important job-interview you're due for in about an hour.

    I could go on for hours. :D

    --
    Karma? What's that again?
  16. And one of mine... by mindriot · · Score: 2, Funny

    Has nothing to do with computers, but I read it on a Murphy's Law poster once: "Celibacy is hereditary." That just killed me.

  17. So... by draxredd · · Score: 3, Funny

    So murphy's law *IS* rocket science.

    --
    --- Back to the trees, back to the trees !
  18. Re:Murphy's Law... by NickFitz · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, but most people use the name "Blair" for him.

    --
    Using HTML in email is like putting sound effects on your phone calls. Just say <strong>no</strong>.
  19. Obligatory Blackadder Quote by Dan-DAFC · · Score: 4, Funny

    Blackadder: "First Name?"
    Baldrick: "I'm not sure."
    Blackadder: "Come on, you MUST have a first name."
    Baldrick: "It might be Sod Off."
    Blackadder: "Sod Off??"
    Baldrick: "Yeah, when I was a young lad playing in the gutter, I used to say to all the other snipes, "Hello, my names Baldrick". And they'd say, "Yes we know, Sod Off Baldrick"

    --
    Suck figs.
  20. Re:If Murphy was right by Little+Brother · · Score: 3, Funny

    Apparently even Murphy's Law went wrong. Thus proving Murphy's Law.

    --

    Little Brother, watching the watchers

  21. Re:It's true! by InfoVore · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well at least one person disputes it:

    Nagler's comment on Murphy's law: Murphy's law was propounded not by Murphy, but by another man of the same name.

    I.V.

    --
    "These laws they're passing won't even compile anymore, let alone execute." - anon
  22. Re:Two comments on idiot-proof design: by PGillingwater · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unfortunately, in the race to produce more and more idiot-proof designs, versus the proclivity of the universe to produce more idiots, the latter is winning.

    --
    Paul Gillingwater
    MBA, CISSP, CISM