Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) spoke at the 2026 Global Health and Welfare Forum in Taiwan, saying that transparency and international dialogue are necessary to build the trust required to translate technological advancement in healthcare into a truly better experience.

This week, Amanda and Hanna are tackling: a new kind of oil deal that no one seems excited for, and an update on what’s going on with the Cockroach party. Then, we’ll close out with a little bit about the nobel prizes, and one winner who made us chuckle. 

In this Session 2 of Geek Out!'s anniversary special play-through of Kids on Bikes, Tomasz, Hanna, Tristan, and Amanda navigate the trickery of Ghost Month in 1980s Taiwan and what that means for what's haunting them!

Food plays an important role in Taiwanese daily life. Therefore, it is useful to know the names of the utensils we use at the table. This week, we’ll learn a few words for cutlery in Tâi-gí. Whether you’re eating with chopsticks or a fork, these are simple words that you can use every day.  ●Words to know: 1. 碗箸 uánn-tī (n.) cutlery 2. 盤仔 puânn-á (n.) plates 3. 碗 uánn (n.) bowls 4. 箸 tī (n.) chopsticks 5. 湯匙仔 thng-sî-á (n.) spoons 6. 攕仔 tshiám-á (n.) forks ●Idiom of the week: 大碗閣滿墘。 Tuā uánn koh buán kînn. (A big bowl, filled right up to the rim.)

Taking a step toward something meaningful is one thing. Understanding what that experience is trying to teach us is another. In the previous episode of Real Talk: Unmapped, Mary Anne explored how curiosity can become commitment through small, manageable experiments. This time, she turns to what happens afterward: how do we evaluate an experience without judging ourselves too quickly? And how can we tell the difference between genuine disinterest and the natural discomfort of trying something unfamiliar? Mary Anne also clarifies the difference between the full, paid Striving Styles Personality Assessment and a shorter personality quiz created by Dr. Anne Dranitsaris for O, The Oprah Magazine. The free quiz (available here) offers listeners an accessible introduction. Like any personality tool, however, it is best treated as a starting point for reflection rather than a final answer about who we are or what we should become. As this first Real Talk: Unmapped journey comes to a...

In this edition, Wanson sits down with animation director Chen Ting-jui (陳亭叡) to discuss her award-winning short, You Are Not Part of the Cake (你不在這個蛋糕裡).  Based on her experience with her ex-girlfriend's homophobic father, the film explores the deconstruction of self-identity through a surreal killing ritual and baking. They discuss her acrylic animation style, the film's funny dance, and most importantly—how do we live with incurable LGBTQ+ trauma?  You Are Not Part of the Cake will be screened at the Women Make Waves International Film Festival (台灣國際女性影展) in Taipei on October 17 and 23. Tickets are available at https://www.opentix.life/event/2095475915937751041  Find Wanson on Instagram (@wansonscafe) and YouTube (阿善Café/Wanson's Café)

What is a climbing perch? A) A fish B) A frog C) A bird Sharks have been around for 450 million years. Even cockroaches have only been around for 300 million years. Homo sapiens, on the other hand, have just a 300,000 year history. What makes sharks so special? What kind of shark did divers in Taiwan run into last month? And how can you survive a scary shark encounter? Formosa Fauna is back this week to entertainingly educate you about animals both in Taiwan and abroad! Spend the next 20 minutes listening to this episode and feeding your noggin with fun facts about the animal kingdom so you can become smarter than all of your friends. Want to share your own story and have it read on air? Send your story (photos welcome) to tristan@rti.org.tw! See you every week for Formosa Fauna Fridays!

Join Joey as he brings to Rti his syndicated show Asia Pop 40. The chart tallies streaming numbers from iTunes and Spotify across Asia. For some of the most listened-to pop music hits on this continent, check out "Asia's Own Chart" show, Asia Pop 40. For the full chart, visit www.asiapop40.com Contact the show at: info@asiapop40.com