This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 20–April 26, 2025

The theme of Earth Day 2025 was "Our Power, Our Planet." Events focused on the need to expand renewable energy worldwide, slow global warming, and reduce waste. Particularly vital to these efforts are small organizations that advocate for the environment within their communities. Local "Buy Nothing" groups, garden associations, and park conservancies all promote Earth Day goals on a small scale, making a big difference. The Latin root of advocate means "call to aid."

A Chinese company that manufactures batteries for electric vehicles announced that it has made huge advances in its goal of producing lighter, less expensive, and more powerful batteries. These breakthroughs in the production process could make electric and gas-powered cars cost about the same. The most significant improvement is the invention of a battery that doesn't use graphite (which is pricey) and that holds 60 percent more electricity than current EV batteries.

President Trump hosted the White House Easter Egg Roll on April 21. The gathering has traditionally gotten financial support from the American Egg Board, but this year, the event had corporate sponsors, including Amazon, Meta, and YouTube. Companies that contributed $200,000 received a tour of the White House, along with tickets to an Easter brunch with First Lady Melania Trump. The event featured 30,000 real eggs and kids racing to roll the eggs across the South Lawn with wooden spoons.

An Indigenous activist won an environmental prize for her work to protect Peru's Marañon River, headwater of the Amazon. Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari's efforts resulted in the river being granted the legal status of a living entity, with some of the same rights as a person. A judge's ruling that the Marañon is entitled to be free of pollution reflects an Indigenous belief that rivers are separate beings with the right to exist. Entity is from the Latin esse, "to be."

Astronomers have found possible evidence of extraterrestrial life 120 light years from Earth. Studying the atmosphere of the distant planet K2-18b, they found signs of the molecule dimethyl sulfide, which, on Earth, is only made by algae, a living organism. Scientists suspect that there may be life-filled oceans on K2-18b. If true, it will be the first proof of life beyond our own planet. Latin words meaning "outside" and "of the earth" are the roots of extraterrestrial.

A brand new ferry that appears to fly above the water is providing a faster, cleaner commute for many workers in Stockholm, Sweden. The electric boat operates using underwater, wing-shaped structures called hydrofoils, which allow the ferry to skim over the top of the water, moving much more efficiently than traditional diesel ships, which must plow through it. The hydrofoil boats are especially great for short trips. Ferry derives from a root that means "to carry."

While inspecting a space hidden above a trap door in a Roman villa, an electrician happened upon previously unknown Baroque frescoes by the artist Carlo Maratta. The 17th-century wall and ceiling paintings feature blue skies filled with white clouds and cherubs. The Villa Farnesina was already known for its frescoes by Raphael before these new murals were found. Fresco, "fresh" in Italian, references how the works were painted on fresh plaster.

Organizers of a weekly gathering in Washington, D.C., are hoping to alleviate the isolation and depression that's common in what's sometimes described as "the loneliest city in America." The D.C. Sing-Along's mission includes bringing people together, handing them a songbook and a kazoo, and leading them in belting out pop hits and classic tunes. Scientists say group singing is proven to improve mood — and humming into a buzz-producing musical instrument seems to help, too.

Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on April 21 at the age of 88. Francis was the first Latin American pope, and his papacy was defined by efforts to make the Church more inclusive. The pontiff avoided the usual papal extravagance, living in a Vatican guesthouse rather than the Apostolic Palace. He was an advocate for the poor and allowed women to serve in higher positions within the Catholic Church. Papacy is from the Late Latin papa, "pope."

A little-known relative of quinoa is creating new opportunities for residents of Bolivia's highland plateau, the Altiplano. Extreme weather in the region has upended traditional farming practices, and familiar crops are failing to thrive. Cañahua, a relatively unknown flowering plant, produces a starchy grain like its quinoa cousin — but it's more resistant to drought and frost, and it grows faster. Quinoa comes from the Incan kinua.