Richard McCracken, age 13, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, for his question:

Does the moon affect people's behavior?

Naturally we feel more like staying home on dark moonless nights. When we wish to make journeys after sunset, it is more convenient to do so when a bright full moon lights the way. You might say that the brightness or darkness of the night can affect our decision to stay home or go out. People often plan nightly gatherings to harmonize with a bright moon. Ages ago, it was decided to set the date for Easter at a time when the full moon enabled pilgrims to travel at night.

Most people are set in their ways. After the busy day they go to bed and fall asleep without even noticing the state of the moon. Certain more restless types are tempted to stay awake when the moon is bright. Actually, the moon does not affect their behavior. In olden days, people blamed the full moon for turning people into werewolves and other spooky beings. But those foolish ideas went out of style ages ago, when the majority of people became more sensible.