Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!?

Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!? (Full Version)

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allthatjaz -> Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!? (3/30/2010 7:06:54 AM)
I have a few questions here that I would love the answers to Why is it that if I lose something like a pair of scissors, search the house from top to bottom but eventually give in and go out and buy a new pair, that the scissors I had lost will turn up within a few days? Why is it that if we need a particular something from a shop we just can't find it. We search the shops all day and eventually compromise that thing for something else, only to find it the following day when we actually don't need it anymore? Why is it that when we choose an unusual babies name. One that we believe nobody else is using, that when our baby is named we find that just about every other baby of the same sex has that name too?

VaguelyCurious -> RE: Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!? (3/30/2010 7:46:14 AM)
The answer to the first question is simple: it seems like that always happens because you remember when it does. Think of all the times in a day you look for something. Normally it doesn't even register, because you know where it is, so you look for it and it's there and that's that. So the times when you look for thing x and it isn't there are a minority. Out of them, the times when you then go out and buy a new thing x and the original thing x doesn't turn up don't really register in your head-you've bought it, it's done, you move on. So while the number of times you [look for thing x, it isn't there, you buy a new thing x, and then the original thing x turns up] is tiny compared to the number of times you [look for thing x and find it exactly where you left it], it seems like it happens loads because you hardly notice the latter. Same for buying stuff-how many times do you look for something in a shop and then buy it? How many times do you look for something in a shop and never find it? How many times do you look for something in a shop and find it the minute you don't need it? I bet the last one is infinitely small compared to the first, especially if you're the one who buys the groceries in your house :P Can't help with the kiddy names, though...

jbcurious -> RE: Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!? (3/30/2010 8:35:26 AM)
I have a thought about the names... The idea for the name came from somewhere... a movie, song, lists on the internet etc. Everyone else is exposed to similar influences and since many people have simaler tastes, as evidenced by populer films, songs, home colours, etc... People having children at the same, exposed to the same influences and sharing like tastes may well choose the same name.

Aneirin -> RE: Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!? (3/30/2010 8:56:10 AM)
I have that problem with loosing stuff, but I have learned not to replace an item because it is lost when I need it, for I know it will turn up again, as it always does. I look at it this way, if there is something guiding us, the mislaying of a thing is meant to divert our attention elsewhere, as to where, who knows, but to replace something simply because you have mislaid it, to me, goes against natural order. Sometimes though, I have mislaid things only to find other things, and with that other thing, the job that needed doing when I mislaid that other thing, which then leads off down paths I had not previously planned. Where it all goes the why's and wherefore's, I cannot be bothered to think about, I just these days accept it as it is and no more. Murphy's law to me, is the law of shit happens, it happens and that is that, a variable produced to make us think in directions we hadn't planned, except when I am repairing machines, I take into account the shit happens scenario and work against it, treating the object holisticly not just repair what is broke, as to me my understanding, is, as soon as you make something better in one place, the rest needs it to be sympathetic to that one place to avoid other problems occurring. The repair needs to be in balance to the rest of the object, or shit will happen, and when you really don't need it to happen, although I have found, expect something to go pear shaped, and it will, so perhaps human thought has more bearing than we think.

VaguelyCurious -> RE: Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!? (3/30/2010 9:57:03 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Aneirin Murphy's law to me, is the law of shit happens, it happens and that is that, a variable produced to make us think in directions we hadn't planned, except when I am repairing machines, I take into account the shit happens scenario and work against it, treating the object holisticly not just repair what is broke, as to me my understanding, is, as soon as you make something better in one place, the rest needs it to be sympathetic to that one place to avoid other problems occurring. The repair needs to be in balance to the rest of the object, or shit will happen, and when you really don't need it to happen, although I have found, expect something to go pear shaped, and it will, so perhaps human thought has more bearing than we think. Erm...I think you might have misunderstood it-Murphy's law says that if a mildly competent person completes an action (say, wiring a strain gauge to a centrifuge, which is what Edward Murphy's assistant did) then the probability of them fucking it up (say, wiring it perfectly in every way apart from the fact that it's the wrong way round, thus making it look like the chimp in said centrifuge is experiencing no acceleration at all...) is above random chance. The point of the law is that, no matter how 'holistically' you think, you will do stuff wrong-there's no compensating for that.

beej -> RE: Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!? (3/30/2010 9:58:38 AM)
i'm of the opinion that my things like to hide from me just to break up the monotony of sitting around waiting for me to touch them. socks are particularly flirtatious in that way; they work together to make sure that they all get groped while you rifle the drawer for the striped navy one. perhaps your scissors were just acting out from a feeling of neglect, and now you've upstaged them with a new pair? must've been a heartache for them to be set aside like a second slave.

Aneirin -> RE: Murpy's Law or Quantum physics ?!? (3/30/2010 10:16:13 AM)
I have always taken it as What can go wrong will, and when you least expect it, so guard against the possibility to the best of your ability. Basically, do the job right in the first place and check you have done it right before you commission it. But when I repair, I go further, that is why in the business I was in, for ten years, every repair I did on machines never broke down in the same place again, and the machine itself went on past the life expectancies of similar machines. I also cleaned and polished the things, so the owner was greated by something that he was happy to pay the bill for, a bit of bullshit and shine goes a long way, presentation and customer service, I used to love my job, it was a pity it paid peanuts.

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