Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Magical Thinking01:29

Magical Thinking

234
Magical thinking encompasses the belief in assumptions that defy logical reasoning yet appear intuitively convincing. It is a common psychological phenomenon that persists across various cultural and individual contexts. While these assumptions contradict empirical evidence and scientific laws, they often serve meaningful psychological roles in promoting emotional resilience and a sense of control, especially under stress or uncertainty.Thought-Action Fusion and the Law of SimilarityA key...
234
Cause and Effect01:53

Cause and Effect

12.6K
While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
12.6K
Personal Choice and Fate Attributions01:19

Personal Choice and Fate Attributions

197
Some individuals interpret life events as a consequence of their personal choices and actions, while others believe that outcomes are dictated by fate or destiny. This divergence in perspective has been examined in psychological and cross-cultural studies, particularly in relation to religious faith and cultural beliefs about causality.Fate and Personal ResponsibilityPeople who emphasize personal responsibility view events as direct consequences of their decisions. For instance, breaking a leg...
197
Gravitation01:16

Gravitation

9.3K
In the years before Newton, a general belief prevailed that different laws governed objects in the sky than objects on Earth. When Kepler wrote down the three laws of planetary motion, explaining in detail the geometrical properties of the planetary orbits around the Sun, there was no immediate idea to discern their connection with more fundamental laws. It was Isaac Newton who, in 1665–66, figured out the connection between planetary motion, the motion of the moon around the Earth, and...
9.3K
Detection of Black Holes01:10

Detection of Black Holes

2.6K
Although black holes were theoretically postulated in the 1920s, they remained outside the domain of observational astronomy until the 1970s.
Their closest cousins are neutron stars, which are composed almost entirely of neutrons packed against each other, making them extremely dense. A neutron star has the same mass as the Sun but its diameter is only a few kilometers. Therefore, the escape velocity from their surface is close to the speed of light.
Not until the 1960s, when the first neutron...
2.6K
Newton's Law of Gravitation01:15

Newton's Law of Gravitation

17.2K
Our everyday observation tells us that all objects close to the Earth naturally tend to fall to the ground. Early philosophers assumed that this downward force was unique to Earth. By the 16th century, Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) put forward the heliocentric theory, which suggested that Earth and other planets orbited the sun, while the Moon orbited the Earth. However, it was Isaac Newton (1642-1727) who linked these two motions together in the 17th century. He reasoned that the force of...
17.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

YEARS Algorithm for Diagnosis of Suspected Pulmonary Embolism in Patients With Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

JAMA·2026
Same author

Predictive value of QoR-15 scores at hospital discharge for unplanned healthcare utilization after elective surgery: A prospective observational study.

American journal of surgery·2026
Same author

Home is where the heart is: the case for mobile defibrillators to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival.

The New Zealand medical journal·2026
Same author

Implementation of double sequential defibrillation (DSD): an Aotearoa New Zealand observational study.

Resuscitation·2026
Same author

Impact of COVID-19 on tuberculosis diagnosis in a low-incidence southern European city.

Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica (English ed.)·2026
Same author

Preemptive Anticoagulation for Patients With Suspected Pulmonary Embolism in the Emergency Department: An International Survey of Emergency Physicians.

Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO
10:35

Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO

Published on: February 12, 2013

20.1K

[Astronomical bodies, disasters and superstitions].

Elena Garcia1, Olivier Hugli1

  • 1Service des urgences, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne.

Revue Medicale Suisse
|August 25, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Despite widespread caregiver beliefs, studies show no link between full moons, Friday the 13th, or specific doctors and increased emergency room activity. These beliefs persist, possibly due to the need for order in chaotic emergency settings.

Area of Science:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Medical Sociology
  • Psychology of Beliefs

Background:

  • Healthcare professionals often hold anecdotal beliefs linking specific events (e.g., full moon, Friday the 13th) to increased emergency department (ED) patient volume or critical cases.
  • These beliefs, though common, lack empirical support and can influence perceptions of workload and patient acuity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the persistent belief among healthcare providers regarding the influence of specific external factors on emergency room dynamics.
  • To determine if empirical evidence supports or refutes the association between full moons, Friday the 13th, or specific physician presence and ED admissions or pathology types.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of existing studies investigating correlations between purported 'trigger' events and ED patient flow.

More Related Videos

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
11:34

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths

Published on: July 1, 2019

11.0K
Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas
07:54

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas

Published on: April 3, 2018

8.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO
10:35

Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO

Published on: February 12, 2013

20.1K
Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
11:34

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths

Published on: July 1, 2019

11.0K
Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas
07:54

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas

Published on: April 3, 2018

8.8K
  • Analysis of data on emergency room admissions, patient diagnoses, and shift patterns in relation to lunar cycles, specific dates, and physician staffing.

    • Main Results:

    • Multiple studies consistently demonstrate a lack of statistically significant association between full moons, Friday the 13th, or physician-specific factors and the number of emergency room admissions.
    • No correlation was found between these factors and the types of pathologies presenting in the emergency department.

    Conclusions:

    • Evidence-based research refutes the notion that full moons, Friday the 13th, or specific doctors impact emergency room workload or case complexity.
    • The persistence of these beliefs may stem from psychological coping mechanisms, such as seeking patterns and meaning within the inherently unpredictable and stressful environment of emergency medicine.