Show business likes family dynasties even more than politics does, though you may wonder how new "stars" are introduced when they have nothing more to offer than their surnames. Eight "talked-about teen candidates" for show biz stardom are the guests on this week's installment of the variety show "The Sekai Gyoten News" (The World's Amazing News; Nihon TV, Wed., 7:58 p.m.), and only one of them, established child actor Ryunosuke Kamiki (born 1993), is not the progeny of a famous actor, singer or athlete.

But their purpose on the program is not to show off any acting or singing skills. They are there to comment on the show's collection of video clips from around the world and, they hope, prove that they can hold their own on TV variety shows as personalities. Among the news stories they will watch is one about an impoverished girl in Argentina who was discovered picking through trash by a famous fashion designer and turned into one of the world's most famous supermodels.

I t's easy to take the humble noodle for granted. Its ubiquity, especially in Asia, makes it almost as much of a daily staple as rice; but, of course, it is a processed food. The question is: How old is the process?