Does How Physic explain Moon's influence on Earth? A teaching proposal

Abstract

This paper addresses pseudoscientific ideas regarding the influence of the Moon on our planet. To do so, a study is made of whether and how high school and higher education physics textbooks deal with the influence of the Moon's gravity on Earth. A sample of 17 High School physics textbooks and 17 textbooks used in science and engineering courses (13 in Physics, 2 in Optics and 2 in Astronomy) from different years of publication are used for the analysis. The results reveal that these books pay little attention to topics related to the physics of the Moon and its influence on our planet, as well as a decontextualized approach to the teaching of Physics. This is followed by a proposal for a correct introduction to basic aspects of the Moon's physics (gravitation, tides, luminosity) that refutes the Moon's supposed influences on living things.