If Moscow's mayor had gotten his way, he'd probably put a kink in the profits of some predictive modeling companies. Why predict the climate when you can control it?

I became aware of Yury Luzhkov this past October, when I read a few news stories of how he intended to use the Russian Air Force to spray a chemical over clouds (cloud seeding) before they floated over Moscow, keeping the blizzard of flakes outside the city. His motives were to save money on road clean-up and improve the quality of life of Muscovites. (Reportedly Luzhkov already has scientifically conjured the city to be sunny on major annual holiday celebrations, keeping the sky from, yes, raining on the local parades.)

At the time, I thought: Wow. No need to analyze climate patterns. A reduction in personal injury as well as car accident and related medical claims . . . lower premiums, perhaps? And if snow can be manhandled, how about finding ways to sidetrack hurricanes or other stuff the forces of nature may throw our way? (I also hadn't decided whether insurers would welcome or dread such initiatives–fewer claims but maybe fewer customers, as well?)