August 31, 2012 Isn't Really a Blue Moon

Group think and conventional wisdom lead to a lack of critical thinking or even a closer examination of the ideas that are being espoused by many and accepted by most. When this can happen with something as simple as a blue moon, we should assume that more complex scientific concepts might demonstrate this flaw as well? Could the group think of experts in a field be used to push an idea onto an unsuspecting population that lacks critical thinking skills? Would this sort of thing be done deliberately to a dumbed down population? Do definitions of concepts change because it's easier for such a population to grasp? These are just a few of the questions that I had as I was looking into the supposed blue moon that people were telling me was occurring on August 31, 2012.