Computing (FOLDOC) dictionary
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fully named "Finagle's Law of Dynamic Negatives" and usually
rendered "Anything that can go wrong, will". One variant
favoured among hackers is "The perversity of the Universe
tends toward a maximum".
The label "Finagle's Law" was popularised by SF author Larry
Niven in several stories depicting a frontier culture of
asteroid miners; this "Belter" culture professed a religion
and/or running joke involving the worship of the dread god
Finagle and his mad prophet Murphy.
(1995-12-14)