Full Moon Craziness?

As the full moon shines bright over Earth tomorrow night, people on the planet may go a little crazy, or so some believe. Having long held mystery and intrigue, the full moon has been blamed for causing a sudden increase in crime, psychotic behaviors, and accidents. Nineteenth century lawyers in England would even argue their clients were “guilty by reason of the full moon” and should therefore not be held accountable for their “lunatic” actions.

Is there any truth to this lunar lunatic theory? If you ask a policemen or hospital worker, you will most likely get an answer in the affirmative followed by stories of crowded jails and busy emergency rooms on moonlit nights. One study conducted in Dade County, Florida, even seemed to support the plausibility of this legend, stating their research showed an increase in the murder rate during full moons. However, the study was later proven flawed, and when the data was reanalyzed, no conclusive evidence was found. And this seems to be the pattern for a number of other studies as well, none of which show any linkage between human behavior and the full moon.

So how you do explain this perpetual myth that so many swear by? Some say it could be simply due to the fact people are looking for a connection. When weird behavior occurs under a full moon, it’s easy to blame it on the moon, whereas when odd things happen throughout the rest of the month, we don’t really think about it.

While there seems to be little scientific evidence to support the full moon lunacy lore, there will always be those who will argue otherwise. You can decide for yourself as the full moon rises tomorrow evening!