I propose to remedy the situation by defining a set of units that quantify failure, and then casting Murphy's Law in a mathematical form based on these units. As part of this undertaking, I attempt, and fail, to identify the physical principles that underlie this most basic of scientific truths. Though highly descriptive and rich with history, these units are basically qualitative.
True failures deserve to be measured.
The basic unit, which I modestly propose to call the 'murphy' , represents the magnitude of a standardized thing that can go wrong. To be meaningful and useful, this unit must be referenced to a universal standard of failure, the value of which is maintained by a public institution. Almost any local, national, or international agency would be an appropriate custodian of the standard. Calibrating the Murphy Scale A metric approach to failure needs a scale on which any failure can be rated. This special HotAIR feature is the beginning of the original research report.