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Sci-Fi writers seem to enjoy coining Laws: adages bearing their own names that live on past their appearances in Sci-Fi stories. Here are five of my favorites, plus one bonus law (actually a Principle) from the world of cartoons.
1. Hanlon’s Razor (aka Hanlon’s Law)
“Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.” Ascribed to various authors, including Robert Heinlein. (Or perhaps it was Napoleon, or another candidate.) This law’s name is also a take-off on Occam’s Razor.
2. Sturgeon’s Law
“Ninety percent of everything is crap.” This adage came after a less successful “first law” by Sturgeon, “Nothing is always absolutely so.” Read more on this bit of wisdom.
3. O’Toole’s Corollary of Finagle’s Law
Finagle’s Law is a variant of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong, will — at the worst possible moment. It was popularized by John W. Campbell, Jr., editor of Astounding Science Fiction and Analog, as well as Larry Niven. But the much wackier O’Toole’s Corollary of Finagle’s Law is:
“The perversity of the Universe tends towards a maximum.”
See also: the second law of thermodynamics.
4. Clarke’s Three Laws
Arthur C. Clarke postulated three laws over his illustrious career. The third is by far the most famous:
- First law: When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
- Second law: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
- Third law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
5. Asimov’s Laws of Robotics
Forming the basis for Isaac Asimov’s fictional universe, these laws for robotic behavior have been the source of much Sci-Fi drama (I, Robot anyone?):
- First law: A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- Second law: A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- Third law: A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
There’s also a Zeroth Law.
6. The Dilbert Principle
Although Scott Adams isn’t a Sci-Fi writer, his Dilbert Principle is worthy of an honorable mention: the most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management.. (See also: the Peter principle.)
If that’s not enough for you, check out Wikipedia’s list of eponymous laws. (I’m particularly fond of Hofstadter’s Law.)
Shhh…super secret special for blog readers.
When on the road, when you are most in a hurry, you will inevitably get behind the slowest SOB, who, of course, is in the left lane.
posted by The Other Brian on 8-15-2008 at 1:18 pm
You need to add the Vingean Singularity, named for Vernor Vinge, the SF author who popularized it the concept. I recently saw it used this way in Walter Jon Williams’ novel IMPLIED SPACES.
This one isn’t too wacky, as it has gained quite a believing following even among scientist and especially among engineers.
posted by John on 8-15-2008 at 1:37 pm
So fun!
posted by Mangesh on 8-15-2008 at 1:52 pm
um, seriously? I, Robot was a great book by Asimov BEFORE the movie. Why does no-one ever recognize this.
posted by Catiff on 8-15-2008 at 3:32 pm
@Catiff - I didn’t mean to imply that I, Robot wasn’t a book first. A book can be a “Sci-Fi drama,” no?
posted by Chris Higgins on 8-15-2008 at 3:52 pm
Network data law: There are two types of users: people who use data but don’t manage it, and people who manage data, but don’t use it.
posted by Jason! on 8-15-2008 at 4:01 pm
I like the inherent optimism of Hanlon’s law: they’re not being mean, just dumb! I think I need to post this in my car to help keep my blood pressure down. It also will probably come into play in a lot of social situation–definitely something I will one day teach my teenage daughter.
posted by Andrea on 8-15-2008 at 4:09 pm
The dilbert = the peter principle.
posted by John Hyatt on 8-15-2008 at 10:33 pm
Third law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
This is how I feel about the digital paper screen on the Kindle.
posted by adrienne on 8-15-2008 at 10:39 pm
LOL, I just love crazy Sci-Fi laws how about you? Many actually make sense in a strange sort of way!
JT
www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
posted by Jim McDougal on 8-15-2008 at 10:44 pm
Where’s the Prime Directive at?
posted by Adam on 8-15-2008 at 10:49 pm
Actually, about the first one, Hanlon’s Razor (aka Hanlon’s Law), “Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity”: my dad used to tell me that very thing when I was a teenager. He is 91 years old today. So, yeah, perhaps it was Napoleon…
posted by Nicolas on 8-15-2008 at 11:17 pm
The greater the amount and seniority of the people walking behind you is directly proportional to how bad you have to fart.
Gross, yes.
Immature, kinda.
True…oh yeah :)
posted by heather on 8-16-2008 at 12:35 am
You could call Scott Adams’ “God’s Debris” a sci-fi book. It’s also short, awesome and free — I recommend checking it out.
posted by mzec on 8-16-2008 at 9:55 am
I’ve never liked Hanlon’s Razor, since incompetence has always been the first refuge of the malicious.
posted by Qev on 8-16-2008 at 11:43 am
Also perennially true of science fiction movies: the black guy will die first.
posted by S Good on 8-16-2008 at 11:44 am
The corollary to ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’ is, by Greg Benford, ‘Any technology that is not indistinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.’
posted by Chris on 8-18-2008 at 9:08 am
You forgot Berneathys Best Guess -
” If gravity is all around us, How come you can’t push a fat dog down the stairs ?”
posted by mikeb on 8-18-2008 at 12:13 pm
Regarding that third law and magic…
I remember reading somewhere once that magic exists for even the most techno-savy person, in that computer diodes are filled with a magic smoke that, like schrodinger’s cat both and neither exists and doesn’t exist inside a diode and cannot be proved to be there (or be involved in the functioning of the machine) unless the diode breaks. But once the diode breaks, the smoke is released and the magic is gone — the part no longer works. Or something like that. I remember laughing when I read it, but I honestly can’t remember where it was from.
posted by ACute Angle on 8-21-2008 at 12:30 pm