This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 12–September 18, 2026

The Australian government proposed laws that would let social media users opt out of algorithms, giving them more control over what they see on their feeds. If adopted, the new rules would require TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms to give users the option to view posts, photos, videos, and ads that aren't predetermined by the app's own set of rules and calculations. Proponents say it would give people more control over what they see on social media.

Four years after she was diagnosed with a rare, debilitating neurological disease, and six years since her last full concert, singer Celine Dion kicked off her comeback in Paris. Dion performed in front of 35,000 adoring fans on the opening night of her planned 26-date Paris residency. Her emotional performance included songs and stage banter in French, the Quebecois superstar's first language, as well as some of her most well-known hits like "All By Myself" and "My Heart Will Go On."

The Bayeux Tapestry, which illustrates events leading up to the Norman Conquest, was returned to England after 900 years in France. The ornate embroidered cloth is over 200 feet long, and it was sewn in the 11th century by English stitchers. Considered the oldest depiction of William, Duke of Normandy's 1066 invasion and conquering of England, the Bayeux Tapestry will be displayed at the British Museum. Conquest is from the Vulgar Latin conquaerere, "to win."

The CEO of the AI company Anthropic called for a worldwide deceleration in the growth of artificial intelligence. Dario Amodei's warning that the technology is moving too fast to evaluate possible risks was immediately echoed by other AI leaders and researchers. Amodei said developers must "slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models" to ensure safety. Deceleration was coined from de-, "do the opposite of," and acceleration, "going faster."

New research shows that our solar system's smallest planet may be shrinking faster than once thought. Scientists found that Mercury may have dwindled by 30 percent more than earlier calculations suggested. As the planet's hot iron core constantly cools and contracts, the planet gradually diminishes in size. The new study shows that Mercury's rough surface had masked some evidence of its shrinkage. Shakespeare coined dwindle from the now-archaic dwine, "waste away."

Scientists found that elephants can resist impetuous behavior in order to solve problems. In a new study, elephants were shown a transparent box with small holes through which they could see and smell a piece of fruit. Instead of trying to grab the food directly, they hesitated, suppressing their impulse, before reaching around the side of the box where a wider opening allowed access to the fruit. The "inhibitory control" the elephants demonstrated is an important part of decision-making.

A geologist was shocked to discover a giant tooth belonging to a Pacific mastodon in San Mateo County, California. Brigid Lynch was doing field research when she observed an unusual, toaster-oven-size object jutting out of a creek; later, she realized it was a perfectly preserved molar from the mouth of one of the huge, elephant-like Ice Age mammals that roamed the region thousands of years ago. Mastodons lived during the Pleistocene epoch and disappeared about 10,000–11,000 years ago.

The TSA is reviving a past policy allowing people without plane tickets to enter the gate areas of some airports. This access was once standard, making it possible to greet passengers as they got off the plane or tell them goodbye at the gate. Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, gate access has been mostly limited to ticketed passengers, but now TSA PreCheck members without tickets can once again pass through security at 13 U.S. airports.

Popular new websites are allowing users to go through the motions of online shopping and food ordering without actually buying anything. These "dopamine sites" provide a simulation of shopping, complete with browsing, adding items to a cart, and checking out, but there's no cost — and no real products. Experts say the experience produces a pleasant rush of dopamine, and may even help users resist compulsive shopping. Simulation is from Latin similis, "resembling."

A metal detectorist in Finland unearthed what archaeologists say is the largest trove of Viking-era silver coins ever found in the country. Kalle Lappinen was shocked to discover the nearly 10-pound cache of coins. The hoard also contained several small silver objects, including a bracelet and a bead. Trove is from treasure trove, from the Anglo-French tresor trové, a translation of a Latin phrase meaning "treasure found."