Hi there, welcome to an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Hope Ngo.
In today's news…
Tasty eats on Taiwan trains, and the science of feeling full.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit:
How is your brain like a vegetable? Find out at the end of the episode!
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台鐵便當紅到日本
Taiwan Railway Bento Finds Fans in Japan
Eating bento (便當) on a train has been a tradition for many people in Taiwan.
Some passengers really enjoy the nostalgic (懷舊) braised pork rib lunchboxes.
And it seems that many people in Japan enjoy the lunchbox too.
Recently, the railway's special bentos were part of a food fair in Japan.
600 classic pork rib bentos went on sale.
The bentos used a vintage (復古) stainless-steel lunchbox, and a special bag.
It cost $685NT.
And it was sold out within 2 hours!
Taiwan officials say the food fair was a good time to promote (推廣) railway travel.
Train bento has been an important part of railway culture in Taiwan.
A long time ago in Taiwan, railway tracks that connected the north and the south were built.
That made traveling more convenient, but travelers also needed food.
At that time, food wasn’t sold on the trains, only at some train stations.
Vendors (攤販) began popping up on train platforms to sell bentos.
Passengers would hold their money out of the carriage (車廂) windows.
And the vendors would take the money, and hand them a lunchbox.
As train travel became more and more popular, so did the lunchboxes.
Different areas started making different flavors, with their own special style.
Some of the popular railway bentos are the Chishang (池上) bento, the Fulong (福隆) bento and the Fenchihu (奮起湖) bento from Alishan.
In 1960, the railway began its own catering (提供食物) service.
And that was when bentos became available on trains.
For those who grew up during the 50s to the 70s, railway bentos are extra special.
During that time, having a railway bento usually meant that you were traveling somewhere.
It might be a family trip, or going back to your hometown during the Lunar New Year.
對於許多人來說，鐵路便當代表著快樂的回憶。
Railway bentos are a unique part of Taiwan culture that is worth promoting to the world.
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震動藥丸製造飽足感
A Vibrating Pill that Makes You Feel Full
Many people are paying more attention to their health nowadays.
We try to get more exercise.
And we try to eat right.
But sometimes doing that regularly (有規律的) can be hard!
And sometimes it's easy to mix up what is healthy and what isn't.
Scientists have come up with a new pill.
This pill vibrates (震動).
That's because the pill has a tiny vibrating motor and a battery made of silver oxide.
The whole pill is about the size of a large vitamin pill.
這種膠囊的大小跟維他命差不多，內含一個振動馬達，由銀氧化物電池供電。
In the past, scientists have found that when a muscle is vibrated, it creates a feeling that the muscle has been stretched.
Stomach muscles also stretch when we are full.
The body then sends a signal to stop eating.
So scientists used this to make the vibrating pill.
And the pill is supposed to make you feel full.
Scientists have tested the pill on pigs.
These pigs have a similar digestive (消化) system to humans.
And they found that the pigs ate 40 percent less food than usual.
The pill also did not hurt the animals.
It passed through the animals’ digestive system within 4 to 5 days.
This pill is still in its trial (實驗) period and hasn’t been tested on humans yet.
There are still many more tests to be done.
But just feeling full doesn't mean your body is healthier.
It's more important to choose healthy foods, exercise regularly, and take good care of yourself.
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So, in today's News Bites:
Recently, special railway bentos from Taiwan were part of a food fair in Japan.
The bentos used a vintage stainless-steel lunchbox, and a special bag.
And it was sold out within 2 hours!
Taiwan officials say the food fair was a good time to promote railway travel.
________________________________
And,
Scientists have come up with a new vibrating pill that makes you feel full.
This pill is still in its trial period and hasn’t been tested on humans yet.
But just feeling full doesn't mean your body is healthier.
It's more important to choose healthy foods, exercise regularly, and take good care of yourself.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
Here's some "food for thought"….
Did you know that your brain weighs about the same as a head of cauliflower?
Even though that's not huge, your brain is like a powerful supercomputer, learning new things every day.
Some scientists believe it can store as much information as 4.7 billion books!
So keep learning, keep playing, and keep your brain happy!
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!