James O'Brien's Mystery Hour

If we're clean when we use a towel, then why do towel's get dirty? Why do dogs lift a paw when they're paying attention and can you change your godparents?

Did the big bang take place in silent darkness? Can a bird be called pregnant if she carries an egg? Does bubble bath make a bath warmer?

Why is fat flammable, does blood get thinner in winter, and why do flies always die on their backs? And other mysteries...

Could Chickens survive a fall from a tall building? What is a decibel? Why does salt melt ice? And other mysteries...

Washing Up - why the word 'up'? how tall do you have to be to not be affected by cutting raw onions and how do you treat restless leg syndrome?

Is a banana a herb, when do wasps sleep, why don't you see stars behind moonwalkers and why do estate agents always sponsor fetes?

Questions on Mystery hour today included: what does a barbecue mean, how do we know the atomic clock is accurate and how do they work out the bills for the street lights?

Talcum Powder? Why are dusters yellow, Where are all the stag beetles, Can space get too full? Why are south facing gardens better?

Questions today included: Is sound quality in film getting worse? Why are people coated in iodine before an operation? Does water reduce friction and why are peeled frozen prawns soft?

Why does the Queen's head face left on a stamp, how do fans make hot air cold? Why does honeysuckle smell more at night? When after the Norman conquest did we start to speak English again? And more...

Why are most batteries round, what is 20/20 vision, is the emergency siren copyrighted and why are there silent words in the English language?

Why do your eyelids puff up when you're tired. Why are some counties 'shires' and do Downing Street have to reply to all letters?

Today's questions included: How much saliva do we produce in a day, can different breeds of birds understand each other, what is 'duff' as in 'up the duff'? Plus why do Americans swap their fork to their right hand to eat?

If you've ever wondered "why", then this is the hour for you. Sometimes simple, sometimes intelligent, but almost always entertaining, probably the best hour of radio you could ever download!

What would happen if all the ice caps melted, do we defy age if we travel in space, is it true that dolphins are the only other creature to enjoy sexual relations?

Why do old buildings have an X or S on the side, where does the expression 'house on fire' come from and if the tide goes out here, is it going in somewhere else?

Lottery Bonus Ball, Police Horses, Lazy Susan, Where do all the dead Deer go?

What's healthier bread or toast, where does the saying 'pass the buck' come from and is old fat in the body really old or does it keep renewing itself?

Mystery hour today included: what's the difference between a jacket and a blazer, why do we brush our teeth with cold water and why does it smell of cheese behind Mustapha's ear?

Who was the fat lady in the phrase, 'the fat lady sings?', how far does daylight stretch and how does someone become a saint?

Today's questions included: whats the point of having a letter box at the bottom of the door and Kids want to know why don't windows wind all the way down in the back seats?

Mystery hour questions this week included: do baby girls have eggs that could be fertilised, how do they remove a Banksy painting from the wall, why are vehicle tyres black and can music really be described as a colour?

Any truth in a saying that if 2 people pour from the same t-pot they'll have ginger twins? Could a tree remain green all year round if the weather stayed the same?

Could you fly through Saturn and Jupiter as surrounded by gas? Why is hippos milk pink? Why are hardback books published before paperbacks?

Why do we say 6th round of FA cup, how do you explain a lump in the throat, what makes it a controlled explosion and can you be tickiled to death?

Questions today included-Why is a fan oven hotter than other ovens?; Why does white wine give you headaches but red wine doesn't?; Where does the phrase 'best foot forward' come from?; Why are there so many 'Food&Wine' Shops?

Questions today included: why do we call it 'how's your father'? why don't plane wheels skid backwards when the plane lands and why is chicken pox given that title?

What happens to a cow's udders if she's not milked? What are the secret herb and spices in KFC? Why is it easier to sleep on your side and is there another name for horsemeat?

Mystery hour today included, Are pancakes, cakes? Do animals have accents, why do we use the expression 'pear shaped' and why do we drink brandy when we're ill?

Questions today included: Why could you see the moon this morning? How do cows produce so much fat? And, why is a landing in a house called a landing?

Questions today included: why is there a purple rubber band on asparagus, what's the highest a bird can fly, have cats eyes stopped working and why do so many American words seem to be missing vowels?

Could the Prime Minister change the colour of the 10 Downing St door? Who decided an x was a kiss at the end of a letter, and why doesn't central locking in a car work on some drives.

Why can't you get alcohol patches? Ice spike in bird bath? Do ants drown?

Mystery hour today included, why does it take so long to fly to Australia, will sat nav work when you're high up in a plane, why don't the apostles have surnames and why are women referred to as birds when birds are male and female?

What's the difference between gammon and ham, why do we clink our glasses and say 'cheers', what does Tog mean for a duvet and do you use more battery when you make a call rather than receive one?

Question's today included: Big Ben's bong, why does garlic permiate from your skin the next day, where does the word wages come from and where does the expression 'cold turkey' come from?

Also, if you wear a coat indoors, do you ruin the benefit when you go outside, why is time measured in 60s? Will sons always be taller than their mothers? And many more...

Can the internet be turned off? Is there a height restriction in basketball, what happens to the turkeys that Obama pardons for thanksgiving and can birds fly backwards?

If you've ever wondered "why", then this is the hour for you. Sometimes simple, sometimes intelligent, but almost always entertaining, probably the best hour of radio you could ever download!

What happens to the crusts of loaves when supermarkets make pre-packed sandwiches? Why don't you get sleep in your eye if you sleep during the day? Why do some stars twinkle when others don't?

what's the difference between moths and butteflies, how do you measure people's feet, origin of word 'goody 2 shoes' and why do we say 'take' soup?

If you've ever wondered "why", then this is the hour for you. Sometimes simple, sometimes intelligent, but almost always entertaining, probably the best hour of radio you could ever download!

What does the saying raining cats and dogs really mean? Do own goals count to a players goal tally? How to guide dogs know where to go? What is the oldest company? Why can't you store light?

Mystery hour questions included: would you have an explosion in your body if you ate a mentos then drank a cola drink, why does porridge stick in a non stick pan, who's 'Bob' in Bob's your uncle and why is UK known as the Motherland?

Questions included: why do dogs circle before lying down, who decided where north and south was on the earth, is the oil a natural lubricant for the earth, why does white paint make a room echo more?

Questions today included: If we have Kingdoms, why don't we have Queendoms? Why do builders put coins in the Eaves of houses, why don't biscuits disintergrate as quickly when the tea is hot and why does writing on paper make it curl?

Why do fingers go wrinkly in the bath, the difference between single and double cream, why can't hoovers go all the way up the stairs and would bread go mouldy in space?

If you've ever wondered "why", then this is the hour for you. Sometimes simple, sometimes intelligent, but almost always entertaining, probably the best hour of radio you could ever download!

Questions today included: Why do you find silver spoons when digging in foundations? If the fridge is full does it use up more energy and what does the expression 'Scot Free' mean?

Questions today included: What do vegetarians feed their pets, why is there a clip on the top of a McFlurry spoon, why do we say 'Excuse my French' when we swear and why don't we flush loos on a train when it's stationary?