Worst case Memes

When your algorithm professor says "brute force is O(n) in the worst case" and you think it's not so bad until you realize n=1000 and you're at combination 980. That's the computational equivalent of getting to the last bathroom stall only to discover there's no toilet paper. Just 20 more combinations to go, but your flight boards in 5 minutes. Classic Murphy's Law of Computing: the solution is always in the last place you look—and usually when you're out of time.