James O'Brien's Mystery Hour Why don't I burn when I'm cycling?
Mar 26, 2026
A lively hour of curious puzzles and quirky science. Callers probe why sunburn behaves differently when cycling, how planes avoid stalling, and what tackle shops do with unsold maggots. Conversations wander through exercise in polluted air, gag reflex triggers, dizziness changes with age, why fizzy water tastes different flat, and why some cats can eat wasps.
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How Tackle Shops Handle Unsold Maggots
- Angling shops use maggots and their pupal casters as useful bait and often freeze them to halt development.
- Duncan, a seasoned angler, explains casters are prized carp bait and shops sell frozen casters instead of letting maggots become flies.
Wear Sunscreen On Long Rides Regardless Of Sensation
- Always apply sunscreen even if you feel you won't burn, because UV damage occurs regardless of immediate redness.
- Lewis and James both emphasise UV can do damage unseen during activity, so protect exposed skin on rides.
Gag Reflex Triggered By Breathing And Hindbrain Protection
- The gag reflex is a hindbrain protective mechanism triggered when airway risk rises, not purely by touch.
- Sarah, a retired dentist, says slight drops in blood oxygen or shallow breathing make the hindbrain trigger gagging when tongue-scraping.