This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 22–August 28, 2026

Astronomers were searching for galaxies in deep space when they spotted what they believe is a brand new celestial object, a black hole star. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers saw a bright red spot, apparently a star as large as our solar system. Their measurements found that the object releases 100 billion times more energy than any known star, similar to what a black hole produces. The Latin root of celestial is caelestis, "pertaining to the sky."

Nearly 90,000 people were urged to evacuate as a wildfire spread toward Reno, Nevada, on August 23. The Hawk Fire burned more than 15,000 acres and destroyed at least 47 homes. There were some injuries, but no one died in the human-caused blaze while firefighters worked to contain it, thanks in part to the advice that residents leave their homes. By August 27, most had returned home, and the fire was 93 percent contained. The Latin roots of evacuate mean "empty out."

A Swiss tourist is serving a year in prison after he flouted a sacred Hindu ritual in Bali. Luzian Andrin Zgraggen broke an Indonesian law when he mocked the Day of Silence, or Nyepi, in an Instagram story. Traditional observance of the holiday requires residents and tourists to stay indoors and reduce excess light and noise. Zgraggen disregarded these rules by leaving his hotel and disdainfully complaining online that he couldn't order food at a restaurant.

In Cuxhaven, Germany, a runaway donkey named Freddy jumped into a van and kicked and bit two motorists and a bystander who tried to help restrain the fractious animal. The drivers had noticed a donkey and a horse running loose in a busy roundabout. When they stopped and attempted to catch Freddy, he became aggressive and lashed out at them. None of the three had serious injuries, and the donkey's owner soon arrived, calmed him, and took him home.

Meena Geltink and Minal Tijssen were adopted by Dutch families in the 1980s and became friends in their early teens. Both were born in India, but neither knew the details of their adoptions. Geltink recently signed up on a genealogy website to learn about her family history and discovered that Tijssen was her sister. Tijssen, who had joined the site years before to explore her own ancestry, was overjoyed to learn that she and her childhood friend shared a family tree.

A study using X-ray technology revealed new information about the structure of narwhal tusks. Researchers discovered that the distinctive, twisted tusks contain not just one spiral, but two. This double helix shape was exposed with the help of high-tech imaging, which showed a second corkscrew structure on the inside of the tusk, twisting the opposite direction from the outer coil. Helix is a Greek word meaning "spiral."

At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, a robot broke Usain Bolt’s world record for the 100-meter sprint. The human-shaped robot, which is made of metal, plastic, and electronics, ran the race 19 seconds faster than Bolt's 2009 record. It was only able to stop by running at full speed into a wall, after which it was carried off the track on a stretcher by humans. Humanoid was coined in the 19th century by adding the suffix -oid, "like," to human.

Colorado's first annual Fat Marmot Week offered ground squirrel fans a chance to vote for their favorite of eight yellow-bellied marmots. The contest is meant to raise awareness of the animals, which are cat-sized rodents that thrive at high altitudes. Marmots hibernate for up to eight months, so they spend the brief summer season eating as much as possible. The Latin murem montis, "mountain mouse," is the source of marmot.

Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, gave an exasperated response to unsolicited advice she has received online. The unwelcome beauty tips most recently came from a plastic surgeon who sent her a message offering to "fix that little spot on your nose." Frederiksen, who is among the most experienced European leaders, said she's gotten countless suggestions and comments about her appearance over the years, including unwanted recommendations to get Botox.

Japan's legislature passed a bill creating a secondary capital, inspiring over a dozen prefectures to vie for the position. The backup capital would provide an alternative location for government business during any emergencies affecting Tokyo. Among the regions competing for the spot are Hokkaido, Sapporo, and Osaka, whose campaign includes a talking cat mascot. Vie is short for envie, "make a challenge," from the French envier, "compete against."