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IN 1949, THE U.S AIR FORCE WAS RUNNING A SERIES OF TESTS ( PROJECT MX981 )
TO TEST HUMAN ACCELERATION TOLERANCES ( G-FORCES ).  THEY WERE USING A 
VOLUNTEER STRAPPED INTO A ROCKET SLED AT WHAT IS NOW CALLED EDWARDS
AIR FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA. THE SLED WOULD ACCELERATE UP TO ABOUT 
1,000 KM PER HOUR, AND THEN STOP SUDDENLY.

EDWARD A. MURPHY JNR HAD DESIGNED THE HARNESS WHICH STRAPPED 
ONTO THE VOLUNTEER. THIS HARNESS HELD 16 SENSORS TO MEASURE
ACCELERATION ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE VOLUNTEER. EACH ONE COULD BE
INSTALLED IN 2 WAYS.

THE ROCKET SLED TOOK OFF AND SUDDENLY STOPPED ( AS PLANNED ) 
GENERATING 40 G'S. UNDER 1 G THE AVERAGE PERSON WEIGHS ABOUT 70 KG
BUT UNDER 40 G'S THEY WEIGH 40 TIMES MORE - - ABOUT 2.8 TONNES.
40 G'S IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY - - ENOUGH TO PUSH YOUR 
EARS ONTO THE FRONT OF YOUR HEAD! ! .

AT THE END OF THE EXPERIMENT, COLONEL STAPP STAGGERED OFF THE SLED
IN A NOT VERY NICE STATE. WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE RESULTS HE WAS NOT
VERY HAPPY - - ALL THE SENSORS REGISTERED ZERO. CAPTAIN MURPHY WAS
CALLED TO EXPLAIN THESE RESULTS. HE EXAMINED THE SLED AND FOUND
THAT ALL 16 OF THE SENSORS HAD BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY INSTALLED THE
WRONG WAY ROUND ! .

EDWAR A. MURPHY JNR WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT HAPPY WITH THIS AND 
PROCLAIMED, "IF THERE ARE TWO OR MORE WAYS  TO DO SOMETHING, AND
ONE OF THOSE CAN RESULT IN A CATASTROPHE, THEN SOMEONE WILL DO IT"
MURPHYS ORIGINAL LAW.

MURPHYS LAW WAS ANNOUNCED THE NEXT DAY AT A PRESS CONFERENCE
AND BEGAN TO SPREAD VERY QUICKLY AMONGST AEROSPACE MANUFATURERS,
AND WAS USED HEAVILY IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS. SLOWLY PEOPLE FORGOT
THERE WAS EVER A REAL PERSON CALLED MURPHY, AND HIS LAW GOT MODIFIED
INTO "ANYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG, IT WILL GO WRONG", FINAGLES LAW.
THIS MIX UP WITH FINAGLES LAW IS CLEAR PROOF OF MURPHYS LAW ACTING
UPON ITSELF ! .