Murphy's Law isn't one of the 18 basic physical principles that govern the universe. That didn't stop Peter J. Bentley from writing "Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day," a book that takes scientific rationale to investigate why everything that could go wrong is going wrong.

We recently quizzed the University College London professor on a few of the everyday bugbears discussed in his pop-science tome, and asked him for all-important tips on avoiding them. Basically, for those of you prone to fecal occurrences, this advice can save you some serious sh*t.

Bad Calls -- Historys Infamous Misstatements

    "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended." -- George W. Bush, May 1, 2003

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    "You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to driving a truck." -- Jim Denny, Grand Ole Opry manager, firing Elvis Presley in 1954.

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    "640K of memory ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981. Gates has since disavowed the statement.

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    "You'd better learn secretarial skills or else get married." -- A modeling agency's rejection of Marilyn Monroe in 1944.

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    "It will be years -- not in my time -- before a woman will become Prime Minister." -- Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1974.

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    "That rainbow song's no good. Take it out." -- From an MGM memo after an early screening of "The Wizard Of Oz."

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    "We don't need you. You haven't got through college yet." -- Hewlett-Packard's rejection of Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple Computers.

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    "My good friends, this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace in our time." -- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain on September 30, 1938, less than a year prior to the start of WWII.

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    "It doesn't matter what he does -- he will never amount to anything." -- Albert Einstein's teacher to his father in 1895.

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    "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." -- Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corporation, in 1977.

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