Murphy's law facts for kids

Murphy's Law is a famous saying that goes: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." It means if there's a chance for something to mess up, it probably will, often at the worst possible time. It's like when your toast always falls butter-side down, or your internet cuts out right before you submit a big project.

The Story Behind Murphy's Law

People have always noticed that things seem to go wrong. For a long time, thinkers have talked about how the world sometimes seems to work against us.

One early idea came from Augustus De Morgan, a mathematician. In 1866, he wrote that "whatever can happen will happen if we make trials enough." This means if you try something enough times, all possible outcomes, even the bad ones, will eventually occur.

The name "Murphy's Law" became popular after some important experiments in 1949. These tests were done by the United States Air Force to see how much force (called g-force) pilots could handle during sudden stops.

How the Name Started

The name "Murphy's Law" is often linked to Edward A. Murphy Jr., an engineer. He was working on a project called MX981 at what is now Edwards Air Force Base. This project used a special rocket sled to test how much force humans could withstand.

During these tests, they needed to measure the g-forces on Captain John Stapp, who was riding the sled. Murphy suggested using special electronic sensors. However, during a test run, the sensors gave a zero reading. It turned out they had been wired incorrectly, some even backwards!

A frustrated Murphy supposedly said something like, "If there's more than one way to do a job, and one of those ways will result in disaster, then he will do it that way." Another engineer remembered Murphy saying, "If that guy has any way of making a mistake, he will."

The phrase "Murphy's Law" became famous when Captain Stapp held a press conference. He was asked how no one had been seriously hurt during the dangerous rocket sled tests. Stapp replied that they always considered "Murphy's Law." He explained that it meant they thought about everything that could possibly go wrong before a test and took steps to prevent it. So, for Stapp, Murphy's Law was a reminder to plan carefully and be prepared.

What Scientists Say

Scientists like Richard Dawkins say that "laws" like Murphy's Law aren't real laws of nature. They point out that inanimate objects don't have feelings or intentions. Instead, what seems like bad luck is often due to how our brains work.

One idea is called confirmation bias. This means we tend to notice and remember things that confirm what we already believe. So, if you believe things always go wrong, you'll remember every time they do, but forget all the times they went right.

Another idea is the law of truly large numbers. This law says that with enough chances, even very unlikely events are bound to happen sometimes. So, it's not surprising that occasionally, things will go wrong in a noticeable way.

Other Versions of the Law

Over time, many variations of Murphy's Law have appeared.

• Yhprum's Law is the opposite of Murphy's Law. (Notice "Yhprum" is "Murphy" spelled backwards!) It says: "Anything that can go right, will go right." This is a more optimistic way of looking at things.

• Drucker's Law was created by management expert Peter Drucker. It says: "If one thing goes wrong, everything else will, and at the same time." This highlights how problems can pile up, especially in complex situations.

• Mrs. Murphy's Law is a funny addition. It states: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong while Murphy is out of town." This suggests that problems often happen when the person who can fix them isn't around.

See also

In Spanish: Ley de Murphy para niños