An awful lot of people, including the front-line professionals (e.g. police, ambulance officers, psychiatric health workers) would swear that this is so. “The human head consists of approximately 80% water and 20% solids. So wouldn't it make sense that the moon, which moves the tide, could have an effect on the brain?” our guest speaker, Acting Chief Superintendent Dr Geoff Sheldon, asked.But… there is not a skerrick of evidence. And he would know: not only has he served in the police force (predominantly as a detective) for over 40 years, but he earned himself a doctorate, the thesis of which was just that. He meticulously analysed over 900,000 police jobs stretching over a period of eight years. Each job was analysed over 30 items of data, that is over 27 Million pieces of data. And the conclusion: Not so! Not across the board, nor on specific areas such as crime or traffic accidents. “I felt like a small kid who has been told that there is no Santa Claus” he said.
Dr Geoff kindly allowed us to upload his PowerPoint presentation (in PDF format) – check it out in the Download Section on the right.
Photo: Dr Geoff Sheldon (right) with Ian Mayberry [who, as a former racing driver and Supercars Clerk of the Course, would possibly have had the odd discussion with the Boys in Blue before. And presenting a bottle of wine might not always have fixed the issue… ☺