We\u2019ve all heard something to the effect, it\u2019s just Murphy\u2019s Law. Well, that got me to thinking \u2014 who the heck is this Murphy and how did he get his own law?
\u201cMurphy\u2019s Law\u201d states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. So is this a real law, or only a superstition?\u00a0
In the UK, Murphy\u2019s Law is more popularly known as Sod\u2019s Law. A \u201cpoor sod\u201d is a term that dates back to the Middle Ages and means \u201can unlucky fellow.\u201d I found along with Sod\u2019s Law listed a corollary called Finagle\u2019s Law that says that bad things will always happen, perhaps especially to good people, at the most inconvenient times.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But back to Murphy\u2019s Law\u2026.. in 1948 the Air Force was working on a research project at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The project, codenamed MX981, involved high speed rockets and deceleration to determine their effects on humans. One of the experiments was to propel a rocket sled attached to a 1.9 mile track to speeds of 200 mph and hit the brakes to stop the sled in seconds. The team of data collectors was led by Capt. Edward Murphy. Murphy was a West Point graduate and World War II veteran . Murphy assigned an assistant to wire four electronic strain gauges, or transducers, to shoulder straps to measure the G-forces on various parts of the body. When the experiment was run, all the sensors came back with zero readings \u2014 no data. When the team investigated, they discovered that each sensor had been wired backward. Cant. Murphy, disgusted at the lack of attention to detail said, \u201cIf there\u2019s any way these guys can do it wrong, they will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The overall commander of the MX981 project, Lt. Col John Stapp, told a reporter during an interview that when working on projects like this, his crew operated under \u201cMurphy\u2019s Law, if anything can go wrong, it will.\u201d He was explaining that the Air Force anticipated possible failures, assuming a worst-case scenario, an to address those possibilities before they happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stapp actually coined many \u201claws\u201d while working on aerospace tests. Before Murphy\u2019s Law, his most well known was \u201cStapp\u2019s Law,\u201d which was similar to Murphy\u2019s \u2014 \u201cThe universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle.\u201d
So Col. Stapp didn\u2019t coin Murphy\u2019s Law, but he was most instrumental in making it a popular expression, and it was eventually engraved on a plaque at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Murphy wasn’t happy at the misinterpretation of his new \u201claw.\u201d Murphy intended the saying to be a way to approach experimentation with the utmost defense and preparedness for something to go wrong, in order to achieve the highest caliber of safety and success.\u00a0
Even today, Murphy\u2019s Law is widely misunderstood and can be interpreted many ways.
But if we take a positive look at it, \u201canything\u201d can be both the good and the bad.
Murphy\u2019s Law can certainly be a catchphrase for open-minded preparedness.\u00a0
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We\u2019ve all heard something to the effect, it\u2019s just Murphy\u2019s Law. Well, that got me to thinking \u2014 who the heck is this Murphy and how did he get his own law?\u201cMurphy\u2019s Law\u201d states that anything that can go wrong … Continue reading