Moon does not trigger periods of crime and illness is nonsense, University of California finds
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The word 'lunatic' itself was derived from the Latin word for moon 'luna,' as many were convinced that the celestial body could cause disease and strange behaviour.
And it's a theory that persists today, with many people believing that a full moon is more likely to coincide with hectic periods in hospitals or in birth wards.
But Dr Jean-Luc Margot, a professor of planetary astronomy at the University of California, has carried out a study that proves that the concept is essentially rubbish.
A researcher from the University of California says that claims the moon causes illnesses are rubbish. Dr Margot said that when life is hectic on the day of a full moon, many people remember the association because it confirms their belief - but they do not remember when nothing in particular happens on such a day
His research was carried out to illustrate how intelligent and otherwise reasonable people develop strong beliefs that are not aligned with reality.
'The absence of a lunar influence on human affairs has been demonstrated in the areas of automobile accidents, hospital admissions, surgery outcomes, cancer survival rates, menstruation, births, birth complications, depression, violent behaviour, and even criminal activity', Dr Margot writes.
Even though a 40-year-old UCLA study demonstrated that the timing of births does not correlate in any way with the lunar cycle, the belief in a lunar effect has persisted.
A 2004 study in a nursing journal, for example, suggested that the full moon influenced the number of hospital admissions in a medical unit in Barcelona, Spain.
But Dr Margot identified multiple flaws in the data collection and analysis of the 2004 research.
By re-analysing the data, he showed that the number of admissions was unrelated to the lunar cycle.
'The moon is innocent,' Dr Margot said.
Dr Margot cited what scientists refer to as the 'confirmation bias' - people's tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms their beliefs and ignore data that contradict them.
When life is hectic on the day of a full moon, many people remember the association because it confirms their belief.
But hectic days that do not correspond with a full moon are promptly ignored and forgotten because they do not reinforce the belief.
The moon is even blamed when things get crazy at hospital emergency rooms (stock image shown) or birth wards. 'Some nurses ascribe the apparent chaos to the moon, but dozens of studies show that the belief is unfounded,' said Dr Jean-Luc Margot, a UCLA professor of planetary astronomy
Dr Margot said the societal costs of flawed beliefs can be enormous.
In just one current example, the recent measles outbreak appears to have been triggered by parents' questionable beliefs about the safety of the measles vaccine.
'Vaccines are widely and correctly regarded as one of the greatest public health achievements, yet vaccine-preventable diseases are killing people because of beliefs that are out of step with scientific facts,' Dr Margot said.
A willingness to engage in evidence-based reasoning and admit that one's beliefs may be incorrect will produce a more accurate view of the world and result in better decision-making, he said.
'Perhaps we can start by correcting our delusions about the moon, and work from there,' Dr Margot added.
The study was published online by the journal Nursing Research.
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