These were pretty drastic steps, with complicated consequences, but they do not seem to have caused the heavens to open up over Iceland, to wipe the country from the face of the earth (unless you're counting all those erupting volcanoes).

BBC: Icelandic lessons for the eurozone

"We all know markets are not particularly rational and overshoot or undershoot and wipe billions of dollars off market cap off indices over what we think is a misreading of various data points, " he said.

NPR: China's Struggle To Measure Economy Clouds Outlook

However, in recent years, there has been some serious question over whether that asteroid impact really did wipe out the dinosaurs (except for the ones that evolved into birds) or whether there were other causes entirely.

FORBES: Asteroid Impact Was The Coup De Grace For Dinosaurs

Fear of the foreign fish has even prompted an official government initiative to eradicate the bass over worries that the species will eat and eventually wipe out the nation's beloved ayu, chub and crucian carp.

FORBES: Long Reach Of The Largemouth

Use a disinfectant wipe to swab the handlebars of equipment, and drape a clean towel over shared yoga mats and sauna and locker room benches.

CNN: How to combat the latest supergerms

American regulators have long had the ability to take over a bank, repay its depositors, impose losses on creditors and wipe out shareholders.

ECONOMIST: Financial regulation: Top watchdog | The

They got in after rallying for an extra-inning victory over the San Diego Padres in a one-game tiebreaker, and then proceeded to wipe out the Philadelphia Phillies in three straight opening-round games.

FORBES: Magazine Article