What is Murphy’s Law?

Murphy’s Law:  The Universe is Against You!

Have you ever noticed that when you’re trying to pick the checkout line at the supermarket, the one that you pick inevitably ends up being the slowest?  Or how about that toast that has just had jam spread all over it and you drop it?  Have you ever noticed that it always lands jam side down when it hits the floor? These scenarios are examples of what is commonly known as Murphy’s Law.  One of the common renditions is, "Anything that can possibly go will go wrong."  The "Murphy" in Murphy’s Law actually refers to U.S. Air Force Captain Edward A. Murphy who observed that, "If there are two or more ways of doing something, and one of them can lead to catastrophe, then someone will do it."

Why do these things always seem to happen to us?  The answer is that the laws of the universe just seem to be designed that way.  The toast lands jam side down because it is not spinning fast enough when it falls to land on the dry side.  The checkout line scenario is known as Murphy’s Law of Queues.  It states that "The line next to you will usually finish first."  According to the laws of probability it is unlikely that the line you choose in the supermarket will be the fastest because the odds are against you.  So the next time you are making plans, remember Murphy’s Law, he often likes to make his presence known.

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