From R. G. S. Bidwell
The concept of quantum Murphic tunnelling was critically reviewed by Graham Hagen and others (Letters, 27 August, 17 September and 15 October). While this is undoubtedly an important aspect of Murphism which permits things occasionally to get done (presumably) right, it tends to obscure a much deeper question with which Murphicists must now come to grips. It is necessary to examine the precise nature of the major concept of Murphy’s law, namely “wrong” (as in “If anything can go wrong, it will”).
The concept of wrongness in a situation, consequence or action requires conceptual cognition, which is an anthropomorphic attribute. (This does not, of course, refer to simple physical incompatibility, as a square peg is wrong for a round hole, or 2 + 2 = 5). Thus the anthropomurphic cosmological principle states that the law can only operate when it is being tested by a human (that is, whenever anyone tries to do anything), because at other times no definition of “wrong” is possible. Thus many things may actually be done right because they happened when no one was looking.
The advantage of this principle over Murphic tunnelling is that it is quantifiable, and furthermore it relieves everybody of the need ever to try consciously to do anything.
Despite the enduring interest of this topic, this correspondence is now closed – Ed
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