Without going into specifics, we know that the moon has a huge effect on water, specifically our oceans and tides. Humans are, what? 70% water? So is it really that crazy to consider that the full moon can sometimes have a strange effect on people?

I don't know - just something to think about.

Some think there's an increase of positive ions during a full moon. Ions are electrically charged atoms, and when they have a positive charge they can have a bad effect people's moods and health. Negative ions make you feel good, and you can increase them by taking a shower or being in a natural setting near a waterfall out in the wilderness or going to the beach.

Or any kind of electrical grounding; especially while sleeping. I like to meditate with my bare feet on green grass, damp earth, or in water, for half an hour a day.

Literally nothing you just said is actually legitimate science.

Some think there's an increase of positive ions during a full moon.

How exactly would that work?

when they have a positive charge they can have a bad effect people's moods and health

This makes no sense, and nothing in modern science would agree with it.

Negative ions make you feel good

Same with this.

you can increase them by taking a shower or being in a natural setting near a waterfall out in the wilderness or going to the beach.

So you can create ions out of thin air just by looking at a waterfall?

Literally nothing you just said is actually legitimate science.

How do you know it's not legitimate science? Are you a scientist? In any case if you reread my comment you can plainly see I wrote, "Some think there's an increase of positive ions during a full moon."

How exactly would that work?

You can search for that answer yourself. I don't claim to be a scientist, but I've read several sources that state the possibility of negative and positive ions affecting human behavior. To assume the human body and brain aren't influenced by electrical charges is foolish.

So you can create ions out of thin air just by looking at a waterfall?

The laws of nature and science are what create ions. As wonderful and powerful as I am, I haven't gotten around to learning how to do that yet.

How do you know it's not legitimate science? Are you a scientist?

I'm studying to be a scientist, so I guess that counts?

you can plainly see I wrote, "Some think there's an increase of positive ions during a full moon.

Yes, but you still assumed it was right when you continued the comment.

but I've read several sources that state the possibility negative and positive ions affect human behavior

There's a good chance they were making stuff up. There are so many issues with the theory, such as there not really being any evidence to back it up, and the fact that there are many other charges everywhere.

I'm studying to be a scientist, so I guess that counts?

I don't believe you.

Yes, but you still assumed it was right when you continued the comment.

Yes. I did. I consider it a valid possibility. I don't set rules as to whether or not people have to agree with me. I wrote the comment with my own free will thinking other people might read it and also consider it a valid possibility. I don't pretend to be a scientist, but like everyone else I've picked up ideas here and there and like to share them.

I don't believe you.

OK? All I did was answer your question, and I don't even know how I'd prove this.

I wrote the comment with my own free will thinking other people might read it and also consider it a valid possibility.

Yes, but when I explained how it wasn't really a valid possibility, you ignored what I said.

Literally nothing you just said is actually legitimate science.

Not entirely accurate.

Some think there's an increase of positive ions during a full moon.

How exactly would that work?

This is true, however the amount is less than that produced by simply turning on air conditioner or inhaling polluted air.

As for the moon affecting people's mood, I suppose for a select few rare examples of those who may have a neurological sensitivity to such an effect, there could be some type of speculative correlation.

when they have a positive charge they can have a bad effect people's moods and health

This makes no sense, and nothing in modern science would agree with it.

Somewhat plausible. See the following response.

Negative ions make you feel good

Same with this.

He may actually have a point there:

Ionization of the air : An abundance of negative condensation nuclei (“air ions”) in ingested air enhances alertness and exhilaration, while an excess of positive ions enhances drowsiness and depression. Calculation of the ionic balance of a target audience’s atmospheric environment will be correspondingly useful. Again this is a naturally-occurring condition - caused by such varying agents as solar ultraviolet light, lightning, and rapidly-moving water - rather than one which most be artificially created. (Detonation of nuclear weapons, however, will alter atmospheric ionization levels.) Cf. Soyke, Fred and Edmonds, Alan, The Ion Effect . New York: E.P. Dutton, 1977.

you can increase them by taking a shower or being in a natural setting near a waterfall out in the wilderness or going to the beach.

So you can create ions out of thin air just by looking at a waterfall?

In the the aforementioned study, rapidly-moving water was indicated as a source for such a phenomena.

This is true, however the amount is less than that produced by simply turning on air conditioner or inhaling polluted air.

I'm kinda curious as to how this works. You can't just create ions out of thin air, and you do realize that air conditioners don't produce ions either right?

He may actually have a point there:

This study does not appear to exist. All I found were people posting the identical paragraph as you wrote without any links. So I'm going to remain skeptical about this.

Again this is a naturally-occurring condition - caused by such varying agents as solar ultraviolet light, lightning, and rapidly-moving water

It's pretty clear he doesn't really know what ions are/do.

In the the aforementioned study, rapidly-moving water was indicated as a source for such a phenomena.

Running water physically can't make ions. On top of that, throughout this whole thing, it never specifies what ions are actually good, it just says ions, so that makes me even more suspicious. In fact, here's a negative ion that will kill you.

This is true, however the amount is less than that produced by simply turning on air conditioner or inhaling polluted air.

I'm kinda curious as to how this works. You can't just create ions out of thin air, and you do realize that air conditioners don't produce ions either right?

I'm not sure of the exact mechanism of action, perhaps /r/askscience can provide an answer. From a related article:

A new twist was recently given to lunar-effect theorizing by the discovery that positive and negative ions in the atmosphere have an effect on behavior (negative ions usually favorable, positives the opposite). It turns out that positive ions are more abundant when the moon is full. However, the effect is slight compared to major sources of positive ions like air conditioning and air pollution.

So there's that..

He may actually have a point there:

This study does not appear to exist. All I found were people posting the identical paragraph as you wrote without any links. So I'm going to remain skeptical about this.

The study was found / cited in a paper by Lt. Col. Michael Aquino, when he was was a Major in the US Army serving as PSYOP Research & Analyst Team Leader. If you would rather presume it simply doesn't exist, you are free to do so.

Again this is a naturally-occurring condition - caused by such varying agents as solar ultraviolet light, lightning, and rapidly-moving water

It's pretty clear he doesn't really know what ions are/do.

In the the aforementioned study, rapidly-moving water was indicated as a source for such a phenomena.

Running water physically can't make ions. On top of that, throughout this whole thing, it never specifies what ions are actually good, it just says ions, so that makes me even more suspicious. In fact, here's a negative ion that will kill you.

You may want to have a look at the following paper:

Waterfalls as sources of small charged aerosol particles

I'm not sure of the exact mechanism of action, perhaps /r/askscience[1] can provide an answer. From a related article

Askscience would rightly point out that this all smells of bullshit.

A new twist was recently given to lunar-effect theorizing by the discovery that positive and negative ions in the atmosphere have an effect on behavior (negative ions usually favorable, positives the opposite)

I thought it was positive=good negative=bad. Also, since negative ions are good for you, then surely there is no danger in consuming CN^- .

So there's that..

That article doesn't give a single source for his (outlandish) claims about ions.

The study was found / cited in a paper by Lt. Col. Michael Aquino, when he was was a Major in the US Army serving as PSYOP Research & Analyst Team Leader.

Wait, this Micheal Aquino? Yeah, there's also nothing linking him to this PSYOP R&A thing.

If you would rather presume it simply doesn't exist, you are free to do so.

Considering that I cannot find anything about the study outside of that single paragraph, I'd say it's safe to assume this.

Askscience would rightly point out that this all smells of bullshit.

Of course. They would approach the very notion with the same smug, dismissive, willfully ignorant rhetoric as you have, as they would anything else that isn't already common knowledge, or happens to be posted on Wikipedia, or that doesn't fit their tunnel-vision narrative.

I thought it was positive=good negative=bad. Also, since negative ions are good for you, then surely there is no danger in consuming CN^- .

All the research I've seen and referred to so far points to negatively charged ions having a positive affect on human mood, with positively charged ions having the opposite.

Would that somehow make cyanide safe for human consumption? Of course not. While we're it, have any more logical fallacies you want to throw out there just for the hell of it?

That article doesn't give a single source for his (outlandish) claims about ions.

What's ironic about attacking that particular source, is that it is a website advocating a skeptical position to such topics, and was cited in a Wikipedia entry regarding the pseudoscience of claims regarding the moon influencing human behavior. In regards to the full moons, while there is a weak correlation to suggest it may be possible, with positively charged ions being slightly more abundant during a full moon, and with positively charged ions having adverse affects on human mood and biochemistry in sufficient quantities, the quantity that is present during a full moon is substantially less than that required to produce such an effect. Any subjective affect would likely be the result of the human psyche, or a placebo affect, or perhaps a hypersensitivity to positively charged ions, though that would be a point of pure speculation. A common thunder storm would be more likely to produce an observable effect.

A few more interesting studies examining the neurological impact of negatively and positively charged air ions:

• Biological impact of small air ions

• The effects of air ions on brain levels of serotonin in mice

• Effect of Negative Air Ion Treatment on Blood in Weather Sensitive Patients

A related article on the topic:

• Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes (WebMD)

Wait, this Micheal Aquino? Yeah, there's also nothing linking him to this PSYOP R&A thing.

Yes, that Michael Aquino, the same Michael Aquino who was a Lt. Colonol in the US Army and pioneering PsyOp researcher, who was a General in the NSA's 'Q-Group', who had his Wikipedia entry scrubbed / censored due to rampant allegations of child sex abuse spanning decades, who was active in the controversial 'Phoenix Program' while stationed in Vietnam, who later went on to form the Temple of Set, an offshoot of the Church of Satan, founded after he had a falling out with its founder Anton LaVey.

If you would rather presume it simply doesn't exist, you are free to do so.

Considering that I cannot find anything about the study outside of that single paragraph, I'd say it's safe to assume this.

You can read it yourself, in black in white, cited at the end of Aquino's infamous MindWar paper.

You're welcome to read more about the paper and/or purchase it here on Amazon. If you would like to see the paper now, here's a copy in PDF format.

Actually, law enforcement officers have always noticed a strange phenomena... Crimes are usually more numerous during full moons than otherwise. Though, is that because of the moons effect on us, or because it is (obviously) brighter outside?

Though, animals do act more strange during full moons, so i suppose there is SOMETHING to this (crazy? Nope. For sure? Nope.)

Just the cultural idea that people act differently during a full moon is enough to cause people to act differently during a full moon.

True. Placebo is pretty powerful. Equally powerful is the concept of suggestion.

Though this proves nothing elsewhere in the animal kingdom.

Just to be clear, im not claiming any scientific basis for my previous comment. Its just anecdotal, at best.

Wolves howling during a full Moon is an actual thing that happens, for instance.

My dogs (btw, all dogs, every breed, are 99% similar to wolves) were barking last night. So theres some anecdotal evidence to support your claim :-)

Wolf experts say their howling has nothing to do with the moon; though it seems to me that the extra light would mean more effective hunting, thus more activity, which would lead to more instances of howling.

Agreed. The moon's gravitational affect on Earth is constant, of course - its mass and distance from earth is doesn't change, irrespective of how illuminated it appears from Earth.

But, when the moon is full, as viewed from Earth, it is because it is directly opposite the sun. It is the alignment of sun, earth and moon (an astronomical phenomeon known as syzygy) which creates the extra gravitational pull. This is why tides at full moon (and new moon) are stronger than at other times.

While we're on the subject of strange Moon phenomena, pretty curious "astrological coincidence" that the Moon is ~400 times smaller in diameter than the Sun but also ~400 times closer to Earth.

Yeah, I can't help feeling there must be a reason for that, but who knows..

Making them exactly the same size when viewed from Earth. All this is just a coincidence, I'm sure.

Seems like just an attempt by YouTubers to jam two unrelated superstitions together because of the rarity of the event.

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I've actually always heard that the gravitational effect of the Sun & Moon combine when the Moon is either full or new and have a greater effect on the tides, in particular.

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Does that being true (if it is) disprove the idea of the Moon having a greater effect when full than when not?

Well, honestly, its just a pair-up of two uncommon instances (so to speak, a full moon is kind of uncommon if you think about the lunar cycle--full moons account for only 1/29th-ish of the time, and friday the 13th is an even more uncommon date. Put the two together and you get a much more rare occurance.)

But, i will tell you i will be suspicious if any massacre happens tomorrow.

I highly doubt anything will happen.

Literally nothing you just said is actually legitimate science.

Some think there's an increase of positive ions during a full moon.

How exactly would that work?

when they have a positive charge they can have a bad effect people's moods and health

This makes no sense, and nothing in modern science would agree with it.

Negative ions make you feel good

Same with this.

you can increase them by taking a shower or being in a natural setting near a waterfall out in the wilderness or going to the beach.

So you can create ions out of thin air just by looking at a waterfall?

Or any kind of electrical grounding; especially while sleeping. I like to meditate with my bare feet on green grass, damp earth, or in water, for half an hour a day.

Yeah, I can't help feeling there must be a reason for that, but who knows..

Making them exactly the same size when viewed from Earth. All this is just a coincidence, I'm sure.