Why is alarm clock snooze 9 mins? Mystery Hour
Thursdays 12-1pm
Every week, James O'Brien enlists the help of LBC listeners to solve the questions you've always wondered the answer to.
It's all about shared human knowledge. Call up with a question and then another listener around the country will know the answer.
But we're strict - no repetition and no dullness (so leave the motoring questions out!). If it's something that most of the audience would say "yes, I've wondered about that", then we want to hear from you.
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Top Ten Most Read Questions
1) What is the small pocket on jeans?
2) Why do all crisps expire on a Saturday?
3) Does the Queen have a passport?
4) Why do flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?
5) Why do women and men take jumpers off differently?
6) Why don't plane engines have wire mesh in front?
7) Why are cowards referred to as 'chickens'?
8) Why do pub TVs have a pint glass in the corner?
9) What is the semi-circle on the edge of the penalty area?
10) What is Mufti in Mufti Day?
This Week on Mystery Hour |
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Why is snooze on an alarm clock nine minutes?On an electric alarm clock, why does it give you a nine-minute delay before it goes off, as opposed to 10-minutes or another number?Category: Science and Technology |
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What are the bulletholes on Kew Bridge?On the side of Kew Bridge, I noticed what appeared to be a row of about 12 bulletholes. What are they?Category: Culture |
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Why don't chocolate chips melt in cookies?Why don't chocolate chips melt when they’re put in chocolate chip cookies? They stay as a solid form.Category: Science and Technology |
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When lightning hits the sea, do fish get electrocuted?When lightning hits the sea, why don’t fish get electrocuted?Category: Animals and Nature |
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Why don't black people get goosebumps?Why do white people get goosebumps, when black people don't?Category: Human body |
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Would the Titanic have sunk if it didn't try to avoid the iceberg?If the Titanic had gone straight into the iceberg instead of trying to go around it, would it still have sunk?Category: Random |
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Why do runners get a second wind?When someone has run a lot, people say they get a second wind. Is the second wind something physical?Category: Human body |
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Why do amps make guitar notes go on forever?A guitar string with no amp stops vibrating quickly, but with an amp, it continues forever. Why?Category: Science and Technology |
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What is the number on the end of sugar packets?In paper tubes of sugar, on the ridged piece of paper, there is a number from 1-20 . What does the number mean?Category: Science and Technology |
Unanswered Questions |
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If you commit a crime in space, would you get arrested?Can you commit an offence in space? If you do, who would prosecute you?Category: Culture |
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Why do words have silent letters?Why do words have silent letters in front of them – like knife or gnat? What is the point of them?Category: Words |
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Do you weigh the same holding food as after eating it?If you hold a sandwich and weigh yourself, then eat the sandwich and weigh yourself, would you weigh the same?Category: Human body |
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What are beauty spots?Why do you get beauty spots? They look different to moles.Category: Human body |
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What speed do a bee's wings go?When a bumble bee flies, what speed does his wings go? They say it breaks the laws of physics for a bee to fly.Category: Animals and Nature |
This Week on Mystery Hour
Why do flammable and inflammible mean the same?
Why do flammable and inflammible mean the same whereas appropriate and inappropriate are opposite?
Why are cowards referred to as 'chickens'?
Why do we refer to people who are acting cowardly as 'chickens'?
Where does the superstition around Friday 13th come from?
Why is this day so unlucky? What sparked this superstition?
Why do all the planets rotate the same way around the sun?
Why do some of the planets not go in the opposite direction?
Why is one side of the road even numbers and the other odd?
Why don't they go up one side and then the other? Why is one side all odd and the other even?
Why do wild animals not get stung by nettles?
Why do you see birds and squirrels in nettle bushes? Do they not get stung by them?
Unanswered Questions: Can You Help?
What is the oldest existing state?
Which nation has had the same name for the longest? Do you have the answer?
What will Prince Charles be called if/when he becomes King?
Will he be King Charles or King George? Why?
Recently on Mystery Hour
Does bottled water go off?
Does bottled water go off? My step-daughter says it does, but I don't agree.Category: Science and Technology
What’s the difference between a flower and a weed?
What’s the difference between a flower and a weed? Surely they both flower.Category: Animals and Nature
Why do we get ON a bus, but IN a car?
Why do we get ON a bus, but IN a car? Why don't we get on a car like everything else?Category: Words
Why do we put our head in our hands?
When there is a near-miss when playing sport, why do we put our face in our heads?Category: Sport and Games
Why don't plane engines have wire mesh in front?
If planes crash when birds fly into the engines, why don't they put a wire mesh over the engine?
What's the difference between murder and killing?
One from my 5-year-old after hearing about Bin Laden: What's the difference between being murdered and being killed?Category: Culture
Do viaducts get heavier when boats go over them?
If you’re going over a bridge in a canal boat, does the bridge carry any extra weight from the boat?Category: Science and Technology
Why don't we harvest spiders' webs for use?
I heard that webs from spiders are stronger and lighter than steel. So why don't we harvest it for use?Category: Animals and Nature
Why are windows on boats always round?
Why are the windows of a ship always round? And why are they called portholes?Category: Science and Technology
What do the signs "Ancient Lights" mean?
Above the old alleyways of Soho, you can see old signs saying "Ancient Lights". What do they mean?Category: Culture
What is the semi-circle on the edge of the penalty area?
In football, what is the purpose of the semi-circle on the edge of the penalty box?Category: Sport and Games
What happens to ambassadors when war is declared?
What happens to diplomats when we declare war? In World War II, what happened to the German diplomats?Category: Culture
Why is "nursing" good, but "doctoring" bad?
Why is "nursing" something good, but "doctoring" something bad? You nurse someone to health, but doctor a document.Category: Words
Can you compress water?
Can you compress water? If you had an airtight box, would it be possible to compress the H2O?Category: Science and Technology
Why do you feel sick reading in cars?
When I'm travelling in a train or plane, I have no problems reading. So why can't I read in a car without feeling carsick?Category: Human body
Why were M&S clothes branded St Michael?
When I was a little girl, I had Marks & Spencer vests and the label said St Michael. Why? Why not M&S?Category: Culture
Why is something 'The Real McCoy'?
When you go and buy your genuine Rolex watch, why is it the Real McCoy?Category: Words
If human cells all regenerate, why don't tattoos vanish?
If human cells are all replaced every few years, how come tattoos stay exactly the same forever?Category: Human body
Why isn't a surgeon called doctor?
When a man qualifies to be a doctor, he titles himself Doctor. But when he gets a promotion to a surgeon or consultant, he reverts to Mister. Why?Category: Culture
Why don't cigarettes have use-by dates?
Why are there no use-by dates on packets of cigarettes?Category: Culture
Is one blood group better than others?
Is one blood group more superior than another? Is a group more efficient than any other?Category: Human body
Why do MPs keep standing up at PMQs?
At Prime Minister's Question Time, why do MPs keep standing up and sitting down without asking a question?Category: Culture
When does a boat become a ship?
What's the difference between a boat and a ship? When does a boat become a ship?Category: Culture
What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? Are they different breeds or different species?Category: Animals and Nature
Can child actors go to premieres of their 18-certificate films?
Are child actors allowed to see the premieres of their films if it is a 15 or 18-rated film?Category: Culture
What are Sea Monkeys and how do they survive?
What are Sea monkeys – those little dried shrimp-type organisms you can buy? How do they survive being dried?Category: Animals and Nature
Why do clouds create turbulence?
On a plane last week, we suffered some severe turbulence when we went through clouds. Why do clouds create more turbulence?Category: Science and Technology
Belly Buttons: Why do you have an innie or an outie?
What determines whether we have an innie or an outie belly button?Category: Human body
Does human spontaneous combustion ever happen?
In the newspapers, they reported "spontaneous human combustion". Has it ever actually happened, and if so, how and why?Category: Human body
What is the "nap" in betting?
Every newspaper has a racing tipster, who recommends horses of the day and the top horse is the "nap". What does "nap" mean?Category: Sport and Games
Why do people "shuffle off this mortal coil"?
I often hear the phrase "before I shuffle off this mortal coil". Where does the word coil come from in this instance?Category: Words
What are silverfish and can they drown?
We have silverfish - those tiny creatures that hang around in bathrooms. Where do they come from and can they drown?Category: Animals and Nature
Why don't snorers wake themselves up?
Why do snorers not wake themselves up when they snore? Most people can’t sleep when there is a great deal of ambient noise.Category: Human body
How do brick roofs in tunnels stick?
When engineers built tunnels, they line the roof with bricks. How do they get them to stick up there before the cement dries?Category: Science and Technology
Can I eat mould growing on cheese?
If cheddar cheese goes white with mould, I cut it off. But I eat Brie, which has mould in it anyway. So could I eat all cheese mould?Category: Science and Technology
Why can't space shuttles use gravity for re-entry?
A space shuttle has to be at the right angle when they re-enter the atmosphere. Why can't they just drop down to Earth with gravity?Category: Science and Technology
Why does Good Friday move so much?
If Good Friday is the day Jesus died, why does Easter move around so much?Category: Culture
Do identical twins have the same writing?
Would a pair of identical twins with the same DNA have the same handwriting?Category: Human body
Why are roads "metalled"?
Why is a newly surfaced road said to be metalled, when it's made of asphalt?Category: Words
Why are people with no money "borasic"?
I sometimes hear older people from London, when they have no money, they say they are "borasic"?Category: Words
What do deaf people use for alarm clocks?
What do deaf people use as an alarm? How do they have alarm clocks or smoke alarms?Category: Culture
Are elephants really scared of mice?
Is it true elephants are scared of mice and if so, why?Category: Animals and Nature
Do lemmings really run off cliffs in groups?
Do lemmings actually run off cliffs in huge numbers?Category: Animals and Nature
What causes ringing in my ears?
Occasionally, I get a ringing noise in my ear. What is it that causes that?Category: Human body
Could a bullet fired into the air kill you?
When the rebels in Libya fire guns directly into the air, what happens to the bullet? Could it kill you?Category: Science and Technology
Who gets the money when companies are fined?
When big corporations like banks or insurance companies get hit by corporate fines, where does the money go?Category: Random
Why can my wife not whisper?
Why can my wife not whisper? What is it that allows you to whisper?Category: Human body
Where did the game Chess come from?
What are the origins of the game chess? Where did it come from and who invented it?Category: Sport and Games
How is postage money shared abroad?
I send a lot of packages abroad. How does the postage money I spend on the parcels get sent to Austria?Category: Culture
Did the other side of the Pacific Plate also shift?
We're told the Pacific plate shifted 8', so why hasn't the other side of the plate also moved that much?Category: Animals and Nature
Why can't animals learn to cross the road?
Why do animals have no sense of judgement when crossing the road? They always seem to run into the road at the wrong time.Category: Animals and Nature
Why do toiletries contain Aqua instead of Water?
In toiletries, they list the primary ingredient as Aqua. Why don’t they write water?Category: Words
How much water around an island do you own?
If I win £68million on the lottery this weekend and I decide to buy an island, how much of the water around the island would I own?Category: Culture
Why do we call policemen 'coppers'?
Why do we call policemen 'coppers'? I can't think why…Category: Words
What's the mark-up on cinema popcorn?
What is the mark-up on cinema popcorn? Surely it's really cheap to make, but they sell it for a lot of money.Category: Random
Why do drinks stay fizzy in the fridge?
When you don't finish a fizzy drink, why does it stay fizzier in a fridge than if you leave it at room temperature?Category: Science and Technology
Why are undertakers so called?
Why are undertakers so called? Where did the name originate?Category: Words
Why is a Green Room so called?
You see pictures on TV where celebrities are seen drinking in the "green room". But they are never green.Category: Words
How do memory cards work?
How do memory cards work? How does something that is so small and doesn't move store so much?Category: Science and Technology
Why are HD TV channels quieter than usual ones?
I just bought a flatscreen TV with HD. Why is the sound so much quieter on an HD channel than on regular channels?Category: Science and Technology
What is a Beadle?
At St Bart's Hospital, there is a man who deals with paperwork called the Beadle. Where does that title come from?Category: Words
Why is a glass called a tumbler?
Why is a drinking glass known as a 'tumbler'?Category: Words
Why do dogs stick their heads out of car windows?
Why does a dog want to put its head out of a car door all the time? I see this more and more.Category: Animals and Nature
How do gas planets stay together?
Why do gas planets like Neptune and Saturn exist? What keeps the gas together and doesn't just disappear into space?Category: Science and Technology
Toby Jugs - who was Toby?
You've got the Toby Jugs and the Toby Carver. So who is Toby?category: Culture
Why are foreign eggs white, but ours brown?
On holiday at breakfast, all the eggs were white, but back here, they are brown. Why is there a difference?Category: Animals and Nature
How do you get your clock completely accurate?
What is the best way to set your watch as accurately as possible?Category: Random
What are the counters on bus wheels?
On the back wheel of a bus, there is a counter – a small box with numbers. If they are counting, what is the purpose?Category: Random
Why is there a squeaking noise when pigeons take flight?
Doves make it too but crows do not.Category: Animals and Nature
What happens to lottery scratchcards when all the top prizes have been won?
Surely it is like selling raffle tickets after the prizes have gone?
Category: Sport and Games
