# Moonlight effects - science vs. urban legends

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moonlight-effects-science-vs-urban-legends/649464>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 6, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moonlight-effects-science-vs-urban-legends/649464 "2013-02-06T06:49:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moonlight-effects-science-vs-urban-legends/649464/21 "2013-02-06T22:46:01Z")

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“Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?”-The Joker

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moonlight-effects-science-vs-urban-legends/649464/22 "2013-02-06T22:55:01Z")

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> [@Dr.Drake](#):
>
> Urban legends are a type of folklore. Urban legends **must** have a narrative, otherwise they’re not narratives. A non-narrative expression of belief can be a rumour (if it’s alluding to a narrative) or a folk belief.

I agree with your definition. However, sometimes there are narratives that end with the full moon syndrome being the twist to explain the confusion at the hospital. It may be a lame Urban Myth, but it can qualify. If it’s something about werewolves it’s usually just folklore because people have all these inaccurate ideas about how real werewolves behave.

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**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moonlight-effects-science-vs-urban-legends/649464/23 "2013-02-06T23:56:55Z")

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Anecdotes ain’t data, I know, BUT I used to deliver prescription medications to nursing homes at night. I asked a bunch of nurses if their patients were more troublesome during a full moon and the answers were always an emphatic YES, often accompanied by anecdotes. (I’m just a reporter, not an editor)

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**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moonlight-effects-science-vs-urban-legends/649464/24 "2013-02-07T05:54:58Z")

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> [@LouisB](#):
>
> Anecdotes ain’t data, I know, BUT I used to deliver prescription medications to nursing homes at night. I asked a bunch of nurses if their patients were more troublesome during a full moon and the answers were always an emphatic YES, often accompanied by anecdotes. (I’m just a reporter, not an editor)

It’s unfortunately a popular piece of folklore, or at least enough so, that some mix of confirmation bias on the part of the nurses, and psychosomatic anxiety from some of the more credulous or superstitious patients is a far more likely explanation to any perceived “full moon” effect.

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