Hi there. Welcome to an all-new episode of News Bites.

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Kelly Kimura.

In today's news,

The future of laser technology, and a tasty way to save ancient history.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…

A tiny bug that packs a big punch!

Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.

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台灣研發雷射防空系統

Laser Systems to Protect Taiwan

Laser technology has changed a lot.

We use lasers in many places that we don't even think about…

From the QR-code scanner at the convenience store near your home, to equipment for surgery (手術).

This technology can be used in so many ways.

Lasers are also used in military technology.

Now, we're not talking about laser guns and light sabers, at least, not yet.

We're still a long way from that.

Laser weapons are also known as directed-energy (指定向能量) weapons.

They are electromagnetic (電磁) systems.

They take chemical or electrical energy and turn it into focused energy.

This energy can hit something far away.

Scientists believe this can help protect people from dangers in the sky.

Many countries are working on this type of technology.

Traditional weapons and defense systems are very expensive.

And they also cost a lot of money to maintain (維修).

Laser technology may be cheaper.

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has been working on this technology.

Last year, the institute made a low-powered prototype (原型).

Now, they've made a 50 kilowatt laser system on a vehicle.

The institute says the laser system can neutralize (消除) dangers in the sky.

It can target drones, missiles or rockets.

And it can use a quiet electronic attack to stop them.

這個雷射系統可以破壞無人機、慢速機、和其他的空中武器。

Scientists still have to do more tests on the laser system.

But they hope the system can be used to protect Taiwan in the future.

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山葵能幫助保存古莎草紙

A Spicy New Way to Save Ancient Papyrus

It's green…

It's mushy…

And whew!

It really makes your nose burn and your eyes water!

Do you like wasabi?

It often looks like a light green paste (漿糊).

And many people eat it with sushi.

But be careful!

If you have too much in one bite, it can be quite spicy!

And it can also clear up your stuffy nose.

Now, scientists have found a whole new way to use wasabi!

No, not for food.

They use it to preserve (保存) papyrus rolls!

Papyrus is a type of material (材料) used long ago.

It's made from the stem of a water plant.

Thousands of years ago, it was used to make sails (船帆), rope, baskets and many other items.

Ancient Egyptians also used it as paper, for writing and painting.

It was used throughout the ancient Mediterranean (地中海) world.

This means many ancient texts found by archaeologists are written on papyrus.

The papyrus tells us a lot of about ancient history and culture.

But since papyrus is made from a plant, it's fragile (脆弱).

Papyrus is often damaged by fungal infections (黴菌感染).

When fungus grow on papyrus, the papyrus cracks and the paint disappears.

In fact, scientists say the bio-deterioration (生物腐蝕) of papyrus is a worldwide problem.

Museums all over the world were looking for a way to keep papyrus safe.

And that way may be wasabi!

Scientists mixed water and wasabi powder.

Then they put the wasabi on aluminum foil (鋁箔) and left some near papyrus infected with fungus.

Wasabi vapors (氣體) got onto the papyrus.

After three days, the scientists found that the fungus on the papyrus was gone!

And, the papyrus was stronger by 26 percent.

They were amazed!

And compared with other disinfectants (消毒劑), wasabi is safer and greener for the environment.

Scientists are now trying to find out if wasabi can be used on other materials.

誰能想到山葵除了美味，竟然能保存古文物。

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So in today's News Bites,

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has made a special laser system.

The institute says the system can neutralize dangers in the sky.

They hope the system can be used to protect Taiwan in the future.

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And,

Scientists are preserving papyrus rolls with wasabi.

They mix water and wasabi powder, then leave that close to papyrus infected with fungus.

The wasabi helps kill the fungus and makes the papyrus stronger.

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趣味小點

Tasty Tidbit

And in today's Tasty Tidbit,

Fire-breathing dragons only live in stories. But how about a tiny real-life bug that shoots super-hot stuff out its backend?

The bombardier beetle has two chemicals in its body. When it is in danger, it mixes the chemicals to make a really hot spray, and shoots out the chemicals. That explosive spray can get up to almost 100 degrees Celsius!

Anything that tries to eat this beetle will probably regret it!

And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!

If you have a fun fact or joke you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], 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!