<
humour> (Or "Sod' s Law") T
he correct, *original* Murp
hy' s Law reads: "If t
here are two or more ways to do somet
hing, and one of t
hose ways can result in a catastrop
he, t
hen someone will do it." T
his is a principle of defensive design, cited
here because it is usually given in mutant forms less descriptive of t
he c
hallenges of design for
href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=lusers">lusers. For example, you don' t make a two-pin plug symmetrical and t
hen label it "T
hIS WAY UP" if it matters w
hic
h way it is plugged in, t
hen you make t
he design asymmetrical (see also t
he anecdote under
href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=magic smoke">magic smoke). Edward A. Murp
hy, Jr. was one of t
he engineers on t
he rocket-sled experiments t
hat were done by t
he US Air Force in 1949 to test
human acceleration tolerances (USAF project MX981). One experiment involved a set of 16 accelerometers mounted to different parts of t
he subject' s body. T
here were two ways eac
h sensor could be glued to its mount, and somebody met
hodically installed all 16 t
he wrong way around. Murp
hy t
hen made t
he original form of
his pronouncement, w
hic
h t
he test subject (Major Jo
hn Paul Stapp) quoted at a news conference a few days later. Wit
hin mont
hs "Murp
hy' s Law'
had spread to various tec
hnical cultures connected to aerospace engineering. Before too many years
had gone by variants
had passed into t
he popular imagination, c
hanging as t
hey went. Most of t
hese are variants on "Anyt
hing t
hat can go wrong, will" t
his is sometimes referred to as
href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Finagle' s Law">Finagle' s Law. T
he memetic drift apparent in t
hese mutants clearly demonstrates Murp
hy' s Law acting on itself! [
href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Jargon File">Jargon File] (1998-02-14)
In addition suitable contents:
[ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=31">2 ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=134">= ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=262">ad ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=374">ae ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=396">ag ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=433">al ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=544">am ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=592">an ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=683">app ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=740">ar ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=743">arc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=759">arg ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=800">as ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=894">at ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=935">au ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1006">aw ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1025">B ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1026">b ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1181">be ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1368">bj ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1444">bo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1695">by ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1724">ca ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1863">cat ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1896">cc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1914">cd ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2001">ch ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2099">ci ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2136">ck ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2138">cl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2247">co ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2545">con ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2594">connect ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2791">cr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2900">cu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3151">de ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3272">demo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3276">demon ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3304">design ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3371">diff ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3565">do ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3627">dot ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3752">du ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3834">E ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3865">ec ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3896">ed ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3929">ee ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4082">engine ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4148">er ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4150">era ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4171">es ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4199">et ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4497">fi ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4520">file ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4552">Finagle' s Law ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4700">fo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4727">for ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4730">Force ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4756">forms ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5057">ge ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5141">gi ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5171">gl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5196">glue ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5205">gn ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5434">h ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5493">hang ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5540">hat ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5656">hing ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5681">hn ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5722">hose ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5768">hr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5769">hs ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5791">hu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5810">humour ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5931">id ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5986">iff ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6013">il ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6064">in ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6068">inc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6194">int ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6413">io ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6449">ir ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6481">IS ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6482">is ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6558">it ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6589">J ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6620">Jargon File ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6681">jo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6789">ke ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6918">la ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7023">ld ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7091">Lex ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7399">ls ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7410">lt ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7415">lu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7434">luser ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7437">lv ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7441">ly ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7457">M ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7463">ma ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7521">magic ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7526">magic smoke ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7582">man ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7739">meme ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7816">meter ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7817">method ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7822">metric ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8019">mm ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8032">mo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8040">mod ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8079">module ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8146">mount ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8167">mp ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8228">ms ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8257">Mu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8258">mu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8354">mutant ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8373">MX ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8386">na ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8460">nc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8472">ne ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8599">news ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8622">nf ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8627">ng ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8630">ni ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8672">nn ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8675">no ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8760">ns ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8820">O ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8964">om ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9014">op ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9204">pa ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9306">parent ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9457">pe ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9550">ph ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9651">pl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9801">pop ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9908">pr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10076">pron ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10144">pt ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10253">query ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10364">rc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10385">re ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10754">rl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10767">ro ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10918">S ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10921">SA ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11010">sc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11102">script ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11150">se ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11228">sensor ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11281">set ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11376">si ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11389">sig ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11525">sl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11556">sm ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11600">smoke ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11651">so ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11672">Sod' s Law ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11757">space ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11934">st ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12133">su ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12137">subject ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12246">sy ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12270">symmetric ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12359">T ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12409">tap ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12557">test ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12588">th ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12721">to ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12787">tr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12896">tt ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12939">tw ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12986">ua ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13008">ug ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13030">um ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13174">US ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13175">us ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13188">user ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13252">va ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13274">var ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13310">ve ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13877">ws ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13891">X ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=14024">Y ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=14042">ye ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=14075">yt ]