Why do weird things happen during a full moon

Ask a friend or family member to help you think of fun things to do under the light of the full moon. Ask a friend or family member to stargaze with you. Look up at the night sky. Do you see any constellations?

How about shooting stars or planets? Draw a map of the sky from where you are. Do you believe any of the myths about the full moon?

Write a story in which one of these myths is true. What happens? Who is involved? Share your story with a friend or family member. Did you get it? Test your knowledge. Wonder Words howling werewolves lunacy lunatic particular scientific behavior fantasy encourages Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Join the Discussion. Rubs Oct 28, OMG Wonderopolis is the most educational website ever! Nov 11, Thanks for being a great Wonder Friend, Rubs! Anthony Oct 24, Cat Oct 3, What happens when you look at an eclipse???

Oct 15, Hey, Pickles! Oct 3, Lots of things, Cat. What are YOU Wondering? CAT Oct 3, Thanks for sharing your thoughts, CAT! Thanks, jacob. We think our Wonder Friends are pretty special, too. Sep 10, Chloe Jun 11, Jun 11, We're glad you liked it, Chloe. What do you think about full moons? Cheese Jun 10, Breanna Jun 10, Jun 17, We're glad you enjoyed this Wonder, Breanna!

May 29, We're sorry, chris. You might need a Wonder Journey to help you out. What is up? Apr 2, I like vampires and werewolfs but to me they are kinda scary and idk if they are real or not. Apr 3, Thanks for sharing, Wonder Friend! Dec 9, Gloria Oct 25, I like the species of animal that we refer to as a turtle. Dec 6, Emily Mar 28, Mar 29, Which kid do you mean, Emily? Hussein Nov 14, But, who is specifically the author of this page that speaks about the full moon?

I'm doing a project and need to figure out who exactly answered this question. Nov 14, Hussein Nov 13, Actually, the suicidal rates go up around full moon area. This is because the moon's gravity force pulls water. So technically, the moon's gravity pulls your body, to do bad or good. I think its quite amazing how the moon can inflict upon the earth! Hannah Nov 29, Oh I didn't know that wow that's so interesting.

Now that I think about it i think your right. Nov 30, Oct 26, People actually take that very seriously! And it is for a reason. Thanks for sharing, CAT! Oct 31, Aug 17, Thanks for sharing with us, not telling. We think a full moon is a great thing to Wonder about! Aug 5, Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis! Kim Sanchez Jul 14, I really love learning a lot about the moon and this article helped me learn more!

Jul 19, May 19, Abby May 17, What is the author of this article and when was this posted. Thanks wonderopolis! Nov 16, May 18, Briana Apr 2, Afomya Feb 20, Are the legends about the full moon true?

If they are tell me what can happen on a full moon. I need adventure in my life. You know, a magical adventure. So plz reply fast. Janiya Mar 17, Keki Mar 22, Mar 23, Mar 18, Larissa Lynn Apr 30, May 2, Jashirrah Mar 14, Mar 16, Feb 23, Hi Nov 30, Hi, Wonder Friend! We're glad you liked this Wonder! David Nov 9, Is this stuff really true If it is cool!! Nov 10, Nov 7, Damen Oct 30, Oct 30, Oct 29, In the first century AD, the Roman philosopher Pliny suggested that the full moon caused more dew to form, which led to increased moisture in the brain, and that, he said, led to madness.

In the s, a popular book posited that just as the moon controls the tides, its gravitational pull affects the fluid sloshing around in human brains. Even today, you might hear stories about classrooms of students misbehaving and people getting hurt in freak accidents around the full moon. No uptick in births, no synced up menstrual periods and no madness. In one paper, researchers posited that there are more car crashes during the full moon. They later retracted it after realizing that many of those full moons were on weekends, when more people are on the road.

But despite the lack of evidence, lots of people still believe that the full moon makes things… weird. An especially beautiful full moon may draw families out into the night to appreciate it, and lovers to local necking spots. Muggers and other criminals who ply their trade at night also use the moon's illumination to carry out their dirty deeds. If there is even slightly more activity—any activity—on a full moon night, then that may translate into a slight but real increase in crime, accidents, and injuries.

No werewolves needed. Benjamin Radford is managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine, and the Spanish-language magazine Pensar. Because sleep deprivation often triggers erratic behavior in people with certain psychological conditions, such as bipolar disorder formerly called manic depression , the full moon may have been linked to a heightened rate of bizarre behaviors in long-bygone eras. We may never know whether this ingenious explanation is correct. Already a subscriber?

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