MURPHY'S LAW

Murphy's Laws

Many thanks to Johns Hopkins Magazine, November 1973.

First Law of Experiments: In any field of scientific endeavor, anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
	Corollary 1: Everything goes wrong at one time. Corollary 2: If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will go wrong is the one that will do the most damage. Corollary 3: Left to themselves, things will always go from bad to worse. Corollary 4: Experiments must be reproducible, they should fail in the same way. Corollary 5: Nature always sides with the hidden flaw. Corollary 6: If everything seems to be going well, you have overlooked something.
Second Law: It is usually impractical to worry beforehand about interference; if you have none, someone will supply some for you.
	Corollary 1: Information necessitating a change in design will be conveyed to the designer after, and only after, the plans are complete. Corollary 2: In simple simple cases, presenting one obvious right way vs. one obvious wrong way, it is often wiser to choose the wrong way so as to expedite subsequent revisions. Corollary 3: The more innocuous a modification appears to be, the further its influence will extend and the more plans will have to be redrawn.
Third Law: In any collection of data, the figures that are obviously correct, beyond all need of checking, contain the errors.
	Corollary 1: No one whom you ask for help will see the error. Corollary 2: Any nagging intruder who stops by with unsought advice will spot it immediately.
Fourth Law: If in any problem you find yourself doing an immense amount of work, the answer can be obtained by simple inspection.

The following rules have been formulated for the use of those new to the field of research:
	1. Build no mechanism simply if a way can be found to make it complex and wonderful.
	2. A record of data is useful; it indicates that you have been busy.
	3. Before studying a subject, first understand it thoroughly.
	4. Do not believe in luck; rely on it.
	5. Always leave room, when writing a report, to add an explanation if it does work (Rule of the Way Out).
	6. Use the most recent developments in the field of interpretation of experimental data:
		a) Items such as Finagle's Constant and the more subtle Bougerre Factor (pronounced "bugger") are loosely grouped, in mathematics, under constant variables, or if you prefer, variable constants. b) Finagle's Constant, a multiplier of the zero-order term, may be characterized as changing the universe to fit the equation. c) The Bougerre Factor is characterized as changing the equation to fit the universe. It is also known as the "Soothing Factor"; mathematically similar to the damping factor, it has the characteristic of dropping the subject under discussion to zero importance. d) A combination of the two, the Diddle Coefficient, is characterized as changing things so that the universe and the equation appear to fit without requiring a change in either.

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