Randal A. Burd, Jr.

• Hoaxes & Rumors

  Super Senses: Can Other Senses Compensate for a Sensory Impairment?

  Are people with vision or hearing loss able to develop their other senses as a means to compensate for their impairment? Randal A. Burd, Jr. investigates.

  Randal A. Burd, Jr. February 3, 2015
• Hoaxes & Rumors

  The Hastings Rarities Affair: A Mystery Worthy of Sherlock Holmes

  Today writer Randal A. Burd, Jr. examines the Hastings Rarities Affair, a classic hoax perpetrated by a British taxidermist.

  Randal A. Burd, Jr. January 27, 2015
• Health

  Plaque Attack: Can Dental Plaque Cause Heart Disease?

  Can dental plaque lead to heart disease? Writer Randal Burd takes a closer look at this topic.

  Randal A. Burd, Jr. January 7, 2015
• History

  Coca-Cola, Cocaine, and the True Rumors of Addiction

  Those who enjoy drinking Coca-Cola, commonly referred to as “Coke,” have likely heard the rumor at one point or another that the soft drink used to contain cocaine. It would be understandable for the savvy reader to dismiss this rumor as yet another urban legend, likely based on the beverage’s unique name....

  Randal A. Burd, Jr. January 6, 2015
• Health

  All the Buzz: Does Raw Honey Have Unique Health Benefits?

  Sufferers from allergies and other chronic ailments often claim to have discovered a natural remedy in locally procured, raw honey. According to the article, “What Is So Special About Raw Honey?,” unheated, unpasteurized honey becomes alkaline when digested, which helps neutralize acid-causing ailments like acid indigestion. Raw honey also contains an enzyme...

  Randal A. Burd, Jr. December 21, 2014
• Odd News

  Back to the Future II: Three True Tech Predictions for 2015

  So maybe we still need roads where we are going, but the creators of Back to the Future II (1989) were not entirely off base when they presented their version of 2015, a future set 30 years after the original 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox. While lists of various sizes can...

  Randal A. Burd, Jr. December 19, 2014
• Hoaxes & Rumors

  Sag is not Swag: Droopy Drawers and Their Dubious Origins

  Working at a school located on the site of a residential facility for troubled youth requires teachers to enforce strict rules designed to modify problem behaviors and to help students create a new self-image unconnected with the troubles of their past. One rule requiring constant enforcement is getting male students to pull...

  Randal A. Burd, Jr. December 16, 2014
• Hoaxes & Rumors

  Fire in the Hole: The Legend of the Ghost Pepper

  Listening to high school students frequently attempt to one-up each other over the years has repeatedly exposed this English teacher to urban legends surrounding characteristics of the ghost pepper, often in the context of one student claiming to have eaten such a pepper followed by another insisting that such a feat is...

  Randal A. Burd, Jr. December 11, 2014