This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 11–May 17, 2024

A baby who was born deaf because of a genetic condition called auditory neuropathy is able to hear after receiving gene therapy. The treatment, part of a trial by Britain's National Health Service, involved infusion of a gene that's needed for the ear's hearing nerves to work properly. About four months after being treated, 18-month-old Opal Sandy can hear her parents' voices and is using words like "Dada" and "bye-bye." Auditory is from the Latin audire, "to hear."

An unusually extreme solar storm caused stunning northern lights to be visible around the world. The aurora displays, which filled the sky with glowing bands of green, purple, pink, and reddish light, could be seen in the U.S. as far south as Florida. The geomagnetic activity that produced the dazzling phenomenon also disrupted some GPS systems and power grids. The Latin Aurora is the Roman goddess of the dawn, from a root meaning "to shine."

As researchers find evidence that handwriting influences the way we learn to read and write, more states are requiring cursive instruction in schools. Studies show that writing with a pen or pencil on paper, while slower and more laborious than using a keyboard, aids brain development in kids. Forming letters in a tactile way, especially writing in script, helps with word recognition and memory. Cursive, with its letters that run together, has a root that means "a running."

A horse was saved from the roof of a house in Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil during catastrophic flooding. The equine rescue became a symbol of strength for Brazilians amid a disaster that killed more than 120 people. Carmelo, a chestnut-colored horse, was stranded on a tin roof for hours before rescuers managed to tranquilize the 770-pound hoofed animal and move him safely into an inflatable boat. The Latin equus, "horse," is the root of equine.

The largest annual increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past year was caused by the fact that humans are burning more fossil fuels than ever, according to experts. Scientists at Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory said that planet-warming greenhouse gasses are rising at a faster rate than they ever have in the past. While the current El Niño climate pattern plays a role, the increase is mainly caused by the continued use of oil, natural gas, and coal as fuel.

The Hawaii state government passed a bill that will make the "shaka" Hawaii's official state gesture. The friendly hand motion, also known as the "hang loose" sign, is made by curling the three middle fingers and extending the pinky and thumb. It's a gesture long associated with both surfing culture and Hawaii, where it's used as a greeting and a symbol of thanks. The legislation easily passed in both houses and now awaits the governor's signature.

After a child said she heard monsters in her bedroom wall, more than 50,000 honeybees were discovered there. For months, the three-year-old complained of noises made by terrifying creatures, pointing to the wall and refusing to sleep in her own room. After her mother noticed bees flying in and out of an attic window, she called in experts who found that honeybees had built a nine-foot hive in the wall. The bees were taken to a sanctuary, and 100 pounds of honey was removed.

Several new studies show that kids who spend two hours a day outside are less likely to develop myopia than those who stay indoors. Experts on childhood eyesight say time spent in natural light prevents nearsightedness, both because of sunlight's positive effects on the eyeball, and because being outdoors gives the eyes a break from focusing on screens. The Late Greek myōpia, or "near-sightedness," comes from myōps, which means "blinking."

A miniature poodle won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on May 14. Sage, a small black dog whose tight curls were clipped in the traditional poodle cut, with rounded tufts of fur at the joints, ostensibly to protect them in cold water. The winning dog was chosen from seven Best of Breed champions to be crowned Best in Show. Poodle comes from the German Pudelhund, "water dog," from Low German Pudel, or "puddle."

Elections in Spain gave the Catalan Socialists 42 seats in the country's regional parliament, the most the party has ever held. The results meant that separatists lost their majority in the government. Several pro-independence parties had held control of the northeastern region of Spain since 2012, with platforms that include secession from the rest of the country. Support for separation from Spain has declined sharply in recent years.

Turkish police arrested a U.S. museum curator and accused him of attempting to smuggle dead scorpions and spiders out of the country. Lorenzo Prendini, an arachnid expert at the Museum of Natural History in New York, was detained when 1,500 samples, including tarantulas, were found in his luggage. Prendini was later cleared by a judge, who found he had the proper permits to remove the samples and was not transporting them illegally.

President Biden said he will impose new tariffs on Chinese goods, including electric vehicles, semiconductors, and medical products. In addition to the new import taxes, China will continue to pay tariffs instituted by the Trump administration on $300 billion of solar panels, washing machines, and other goods sold in the U.S. The Arabic root of tariff is ta'rif, "inventory of fees to be paid."