Date: Sat, 16 Dec 1995 00:18:04 -0500

From: "William H. Smith" Wh5mith[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Murphy's Law



Does anyone know the origin and the original version of Murphy's Law? I read

a review a

few years ago (I think it was Hugh Kenner's column in _Byte_ magazine) of a

book which gave the source, an Air force maintenance officer, Capt.

Patrick(?) Murphy, who

investigated the failure of a rocket sled and found that the seat had been

installed backwards. I did not look for the book, but that report is

consistent with my first

encounter with the Law, a poster in a Marine Corps aviation maintenance

office to the

effect of "If a part can be installed incorrectly, it will be." Does anyone

know the exact

source and original statement?

Bill Smith

Piedmont College