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From: kwh@bentley.UUCP (KW Heuer)
Newsgroups: net.sci
Subject: Full moon crazies (was: Astrology (was: Biorhythms))
Message-ID: <822@bentley.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-May-86 20:47:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: bentley.822
Posted: Wed May 14 20:47:57 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 16-May-86 06:38:58 EDT
References: <633@ihdev.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Liberty Corner
Lines: 28

In article <633@ihdev.UUCP> ihdev!rastaman writes:
>In article <782@bentley.UUCP> kwh@bentley.UUCP (KW Heuer) writes:
>>also some well-documented effects (the full moon crazies) that are probably
>>psychological in nature.
>
>I believe there was a one paragraph article in the May 6
>"Chicago Tribune" stating that somebody funded by the NSF
>found zero correlation between moon phase and aberrant behavior
>Sorry, I just glanced at the article and didn't pay much attention
>to the details (who, where, how).

Oops.  I *thought* it was accepted as fact (why, I even heard Johnny Carson*
say it once!); apparently there is still some controversy.

I don't think the "paycheck" explanation holds water, though.  Neither the
week nor the (calendar) month is a close enough fit to the lunar cycle to
maintain any correlation with full moon, even with a small number of data
points.  Old wives' tale?  Perhaps, but I kind of thought there was some
supporting evidence.  Self-fulfilling prophecy?  certainly (I *said* it was
probably psychological); to eliminate this you'd have to find out whether
the subjects believed in the effect.  Hawthorne effect?  I don't think it
applies.

Karl W. Z. Heuer (ihnp4!bentley!kwh), The Walking Lint
*Johnny also doesn't know the difference between "wane" and "wax", thinks
the year 2000 is in the 21st century, and doesn't understand how to do the
birthday-matching trick (after two explanations).  If he were any dumber, he
could run for office!