Hey everyone! Welcome back to another episode of News Bites.

I'm Jacob Ingram.

And I'm Allie Highsmith.

Today's stories: Are night markets hurting kids' lungs? ... And South Korea's
legendary sea women.

And our Tasty Tidbit is about a jet that flew faster than sound.

Stay tuned to find out more!
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夜市空氣污染源傷害孩童肺功能
Night Market Air Pollution May Harm Kids' Lungs

When you think of Taiwan, what comes to mind?

For many people it's the night markets (夜市).

They're colorful, lively, and packed with delicious foods like stinky tofu,
bubble tea, fried chicken, and more.

But air pollution (空氣汙染) from them could be harming children's lungs.

Two professors from National Sun Yat-sen University (中山大學) did a study.

They wanted to know if pollutants (汙染物) from night markets affect the
indoor air quality of nearby homes.

And more importantly—do these pollutants harm children's lungs?

這兩位教授想研究，夜市的汙染物是否會影響附近住家的室內空氣品質，進而損害小朋友的肺功能。

Here's what they found.

The team monitored 58 households (戶) living near a night market.

They measured the levels of pollutants (污染物水準) in the air.

They also tested the children's lung function (測試了孩子們的肺功能).

The results?

Children living closer to the night market had lower lung function.

And the pollutants were higher on nights when the market was open.

兩位教授發現，住在夜市附近的兒童肺功能比較差，而且夜市營業的晚上，室內污染物濃度也比較高。

This suggested a clear connection between the market activities and the air
people breathe—even inside their homes.

So cooking fumes (油煙) and other emissions (其他排放) may be affecting the
lungs of children living nearby.

The researchers said we shouldn't ignore the health effects of night markets.

They also offered some advice for residents living near night markets:

‧ Use air purifiers (空氣清淨機) at home, and ...

‧ keep windows closed during market hours.

研究員也提到，未來的都市規劃應該把住宅區與夜市之間的距離納入考量。

So next time you visit a night market, remember to be mindful of air
pollution.
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韓國海女演化出水下生存能力
South Korea's Sea Women Evolved to Thrive Underwater

Imagine diving over 18 meters (十八公尺) into freezing water to collect
seafood without oxygen tanks (水肺).

Now imagine doing that in your 70s.

This is not a superhero movie - it's the real life of the Haenyeo (海女).

They're from Jeju Island (濟州島), just 50 miles south of the Korean
peninsula (韓國半島).

These women have been diving to catch fish since the 17th century (17 世紀).

In the 1960s, there were over 26,000 Haenyeo.

Today, there are only 4,500.

They are 70 years old on average.
平均年齡已高達七十歲。

These senior women (年長女性) dive in cold, deep waters without underwater
gear (水肺裝備).

How do they do it?

A scientist from from UCLA (The University of California, Los Angeles,
加州大學洛杉磯分校) wanted to find out.

She and her team did a study.

They compared Haenyeo divers to local women who don't dive and other South
Korean women.

They asked participants (參與者) to hold their breath and submerge their
faces in cold water (把臉浸入冰水中).

This triggers something called the mammalian dive reflex (哺乳類潛水反射).

This is when the heart slows down, and the body sends blood to the brain and
vital organs (重要器官).

The result?

The Haenyeo's heart rate (心率) dropped faster than the others.

This is a sign of strong training and natural ability.

But here's where it gets even more fascinating!

Genetic testing (基因檢測) showed that people from Jeju Island—including the
Haenyeo—share certain gene differences.

They are more tolerant of cold and pain, and resistant to high blood pressure.

These genetic traits might help them dive safely.

Researchers also believe these traits also help fight chronic diseases
(慢性疾病), like high blood pressure and heart disease (心血管疾病).

Many people fear growing old.

But the Haenyeo show us what's possible when tradition, training, and
genetics come together.

人類適應環境的能力真的很奇妙！
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So, in today's News Bites:

Night markets are fun, but they may harm children's health.

A study found that kids living nearby had lower lung function.

Cooking fumes and emissions can affect their lungs.
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And,

Elderly women from Jeju Island have been diving for seafood since the 17th
century.

The Haenyeo dive 18 meters into icy water without oxygen tanks.

Their unique training, reflexes, and genes help them survive the cold and
stay healthy as they age.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

The fastest commercial passenger jet ever was the Concorde (協和號客機)!

This plane could fly faster than the speed of sound, at over 2,000 kilometers
per hour.
這架飛機能夠超越音速，時速超過兩千公里。

That meant you could zoom from New York to London in just about three hours!

Sadly, Concorde is no longer flying.

But still, it remains a symbol of incredible speed in air travel.
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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!