"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong".
From an inventor's viewpoint, this is ultimately an argument for keeping things simple and focused on a single task. The simpler an invention is, the less scenarios need to be considered and tested.
Another way to understand it is as though you are living in the future looking back at a problem that occurred:
"If something went wrong with your invention, it's because you didn't do anything to prevent that scenario from happening".
Examples of things you could have prevented but didn't, and thus went wrong:
- The electrical cables burned the house down because the load was too hot. This could have been prevented by adding a fuse, but you didn't.
- The water heater exploded because it didn't have a pressure release valve, which it could have had, but didn't.
- The door fell off the plane when it went upside down because the hinge pin didn't have a lock, which it could have had, but didn't.
- The Earth shifted and caused cracks in the clay pipes under the house, which could have been prevented if flexible piping was used, but it wasn't.
Again, ultimately this is a reminder to keep your invention as simple as possible. It's often tempting to keep throwing new features into it, to make it appeal to a larger audience or solve more problems, but every new feature creates new, untested possible outcomes which can be hard to predict. Hard to predict that is, until they've happened, which they will.
From an inventor's viewpoint, this is ultimately an argument for keeping things simple and focused on a single task. The simpler an invention is, the less scenarios need to be considered and tested.
Another way to understand it is as though you are living in the future looking back at a problem that occurred:
"If something went wrong with your invention, it's because you didn't do anything to prevent that scenario from happening".
Examples of things you could have prevented but didn't, and thus went wrong:
- The electrical cables burned the house down because the load was too hot. This could have been prevented by adding a fuse, but you didn't.
- The water heater exploded because it didn't have a pressure release valve, which it could have had, but didn't.
- The door fell off the plane when it went upside down because the hinge pin didn't have a lock, which it could have had, but didn't.
- The Earth shifted and caused cracks in the clay pipes under the house, which could have been prevented if flexible piping was used, but it wasn't.
Again, ultimately this is a reminder to keep your invention as simple as possible. It's often tempting to keep throwing new features into it, to make it appeal to a larger audience or solve more problems, but every new feature creates new, untested possible outcomes which can be hard to predict. Hard to predict that is, until they've happened, which they will.
Inventor 1: I created a lightswitch! It has 2 possible states: on or off. I'm aware all of the scenarios that could exist!
Critic: Great, except I see you used iron on the connector pins. Did you account for the corrosive reaction if copper wire is used against the iron? Murphy's Law dictates that it will happen at some point, because it could.
Critic: Great, except I see you used iron on the connector pins. Did you account for the corrosive reaction if copper wire is used against the iron? Murphy's Law dictates that it will happen at some point, because it could.
by pjayyy April 11, 2019
Get the Murphy's Lawmug. The boldest toker the south of Ireland has ever seen. Known for his ability to smoke 9 j’s and still attend his little cousin decos communion in ballymun community parish church.
by Grangehead2055heartcoldlikeice October 7, 2021
Get the Noah Murphymug. Absolutely monster of a man, could easily take 70 guys in a fight. And would most likely take your bitch. Also can be know as JM.
by Jjmurphy10 July 29, 2020
Get the joshua murphymug. Facts that are led by the most of Murphy's Law all at once and you know that, but even so you know nothing can be done to prevent that other than falling into ANOTHER Murphy's Constant.
1. When I looked out the window, sky was so cloudy and as dark as tar, so I decided to carry my umbrella with me. Following the Murphy's Constant, a punch of wind has just blown all those dark clouds away, suddenly. Then I had to keep my umbrella in hands during the whole sunny and hot day. That, untill I realized I forgot it somewhere. And guess what?! Without my umbrella with me, when I was in the wide open center of the city, miles way from home, making my way back home on foot, since I lost my bus, that hot and brighty sunlight turned back into a gloomy, and even darker mass of clouds than before and the whaterfalls poured all upon me, until I arrived home, closed the door behind my backs and that shiny sun appeared again. Plus during that storm, occured a power outage...
But if I didn't carry my umbrella when I was leaving home, rain would have started right at that moment, I would get to work all wet, and that bright sunlight would have been shining while I was inside that closed building and with my umbrella with... Just happened MILLION times with me... that's one of my Murphy's Constants!
But if I didn't carry my umbrella when I was leaving home, rain would have started right at that moment, I would get to work all wet, and that bright sunlight would have been shining while I was inside that closed building and with my umbrella with... Just happened MILLION times with me... that's one of my Murphy's Constants!
by WondererCarvalho August 3, 2010
Get the Murphy's Constantmug. by Jjadd November 8, 2020
Get the Bryan Murphymug. by Hartman_Noah October 12, 2018
Get the Brayden Murphymug. When a defective Murphy bed falls on your head and you are rushed to the E.R. In this same incident your tooth gets lodged back into your gums and your becomes inflamed
by Alester December 24, 2020
Get the Murphy beddedmug.