DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

On the topic of Laws, here’s the story of the origin of Murphy’s Law. The article draws no certain conclusions, except that every player disagrees about what really happened. And, they’re all pretty tired of being asked about it.

The single undisputed bit is that the man who made the expression famous (whether or not he coined it) was Col. John Paul Stapp, M.D., who is best known for piloting the rocket sleds “Gee Whiz” and “Sonic Wind” to measure the ability of the human body to withstand sudden force. He was apparently a fan of wordplay and author of a book of witty expressions. He’d chrisened his own Law, Stapp’s Ironical Paradox: the universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle.

He’s a man after my own heart. Well, except for all that business about strapping himself to a rocket sled and braking so hard that his eyes just about popped out of his skull.

Cheers to correspondent Jacque Harper for pointing out the Ig Nobel Prize website. The 2003 winners include John Paul Stapp.