Prompt Cast
The Origins and Impact of Murphy's Law
TLDR Murphy's Law, which states that "whatever can go wrong will go wrong," was not originally coined by Murphy himself but was popularized by Colonel John Paul Stapp during rocket sled tests. This law influenced the creation of fail safes and safety measures in engineering, and continues to be relevant today.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Murphy's Law is an idiom that states "whatever can go wrong will go wrong," and this podcast episode aims to provide an expanded version of how Murphy's Law works.
04:06
Murphy's Law is a focus on the negative and was not originally coined by Murphy himself, but rather by a magician named Adam Hull Shirk, and it was later popularized by a captain in the Air Force named Murphy in 1949 during rocket sled tests at Edwards Air Force Base.
08:25
Colonel John Paul Stapp conducted automobile crash tests to show that more Air Force pilots died from car wrecks than from plane wrecks, and he subjected himself to extreme G-forces in order to simulate the effects of a plane crash.
12:11
Murphy's Law originated from a press conference where Colonel John Paul Stapp credited their good safety record to being aware of the law, which states that whatever can go wrong will go wrong.
15:50
Murphy's Law gave rise to a trend in the 1950s and 1960s of people creating pithy sayings and unnatural laws, such as the Peter Principle and Franklin's Rule, and also influenced the creation of fail safes and redundant systems in engineering.
19:47
Before Murphy's Law and the concept of fail-safes, there were no safety measures in place for things like car crashes, but now cars are engineered with crumple zones and other safety features to protect passengers.
23:40
Murphy's Equation quantifies the probability that things will go wrong when they can go wrong based on the importance, complexity, urgency, and frequency of the system.
27:33
Murphy's law was proven to be real and accurate through the use of an equation that demonstrated the probability of things going wrong in specific situations.
31:34
The hosts discuss their favorite episodes of the podcast "Stuff You Should Know" and mention topics such as lobotomies, body farms, and cannibalism.
Categories:
Society & Culture
