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Cow tipping, often considered an urban legend, is a pastime allegedly common in rural areas in which participants sneak up on an upright sleeping cow and then push it over for amusement. There are factors which make the possibility unlikely at most; one such factor being that cows (as with most herd-prey animals) only take irregular naps throughout the day, often surrounded by awake members of the herd, making them almost impossible to sneak up on.
Physical possibility
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Basing on the cow's weight and body structure, calculations of the necessary force show that the tipping by pushing is physically impossible for a single person. Studies have shown that it would require four or five people, and it is unlikely that a group of that size could sneak up on a sleeping cow. The amount of force and feasibility of tipping would also be highly dependent upon the stance of cow at the moment. However cow tipping may work not through physical force, but rather the cow being startled into losing balance itself. Adding to this problem is the fact that cattle, unlike horses, do not sleep while standing.
References
- UNL College of Engineering and Mechanics. "The Statics of Cow Tipping". University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
- Malvern, Jack. "Cow-tipping myth hasn't got a leg to stand on". Times Online. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
- "The Mechanics of Cow Tipping" (PDF). University of British Columbia. 2003-04-09. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-03-20.
See also
External links
- The Most Urban of All Urban Legends
- The Times article on Cow Tipping by Jack Malvern
- Cow Tipping: An Urban Legend - a satirical look at both sides of the argument.
- About.com: Florida to consider ban on cow tipping.
- The Register article debunking the myth of cow tipping while drunk by Lester Haines
- Straight Dope article - Discusses whether it is possible.