What would hedge funds do?

"Hedge-fund traders typically consider not just the probability of alternative scenarios; they look at the magnitude of the consequences flowing from each of them. If a trader thinks a market has an equal chance of falling or rising – but that a fall, if it happens, will be larger than any potential rise – the trader will seize upon that asymmetrical pay-out. He will bet on the market falling, and his actions may be self-fulfilling."

Sources: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e0faa7e4-9b52-11df-baaf-00144feab49a.html