EclectEcon

Economics and the mid-life crisis have much in common: Both dwell on foregone opportunities

C'est la vie; c'est la guerre; c'est la pomme de terre . . . . . . . . . . . . . email: jpalmer at uwo dot ca


. . . . . . . . . . .Richard Posner should be awarded the next Nobel Prize in Economics . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Reminds Me of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

From ABC News International [with thanks to Alex]:

ISTANBUL, Turkey Jul 8, 2005 — First one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.

In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.

The risk that sheep will act like lemmings is probably an unforeseeable risk (at least it isn't something I would have imagined). I wonder if this is an insurable risk.

It sounds remotely like Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump except that in that case the buffalo were enticed and driven over the cliff.
 
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