Mike's post reminds me of one of the most mis-quoted people in history (except maybe for Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant) --- Ed Murphy Jr. -- Engineer who was working in 1949 at what is now Edwards AFB.
Yes - the originator of "Murphy's Law" which is usually stated as --
"If something can go wrong it will." ie - the universe is to blame.
As can be verified through numerous sources from the period -
Murphy was upset because someone had installed sensors on a test suit (that could only be installed TWO possible ways) the WRONG way.
What he actually said was along the lines --
"If there is a way to do something wrong {he} (naming the guilty party) will find it."
Far from excusing our errors by blaming 'fate' or chance - he was acknowledging the the universal human tendency toward error - and by implication -- the importance in designing a system (whether it's a jig or a tool or an Excel Macro or whatever) with as FEW potential points of error - as few available 'wrong' choices as possible.
And KISS is one good way to do that -
Of course -- the issue then becomes -- defining -- simple.
Ain't life GRAND!!
Last edited by Drugstore Cowboy; 07-23-2007 at 03:12 PM.
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