This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 13–September 19, 2025

The Federal Aviation Administration is launching a new program focused on electric air taxis. At least five projects will test both piloted and unmanned versions of the taxis, also called vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, for use as cargo carriers and medical transport. FAA approval for fast-tracking the air taxis is part of a larger U.S. plan to remain a leader in the field of commercial aviation. The Latin root of aviation is avis, "bird."

A group of scientists developed a definitive reference guide for octopus arm movements. In a new study, marine researchers analyzed footage of wild octopuses and logged thousands of distinct twisting, flexing motions made by the cephalopods. They organized these observations into a visual dictionary illustrating each specific movement, including arm actions like "roll," "grasp," and "parachute." Cephalopod comes from the Greek kephalē, "head," and pod-, "foot."

Three celebrity chefs strongly oppose a California bill that would ban "forever chemicals" from a variety of products. The issue of synthetic PFAS chemicals is contentious, especially when it comes to nonstick pans. Rachael Ray, Marcus Samuelsson, and David Chang, who all either sell or endorse nonstick cookware, say it's perfectly safe if cared for correctly. Proponents of the PFAS ban argue that the chemicals in nonstick coating cause birth defects, cancer, and other adverse effects.

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a coup after his 2022 election loss, including conspiring to kill his opponent and dissolve the Supreme Court. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Brazil's history is full of attempts to take over the country's government by force, but this is the first time the leader of a Brazilian coup plot has been convicted. Coup is short for coup d'état, "stroke of the state" in French.

Danie Wright was walking her Shih Tzu near her home in Land O’Lakes, Florida, when an alligator emerged from a nearby creek and seized the puppy's collar in its teeth. Wright heroically hung on to the dog's leash as the reptile dragged them both into the water. The dauntless woman then snatched the dog away and flung him onto the shore as the alligator grasped her arm in its jaws. Wright punched and kicked the animal until it let go, flipped it onto its back, and escaped to safety.

A water delivery to the English estate of an American billionaire was halted after locals complained it was being used to fill a lake on his property during a drought. Stephen Schwarzman has been renovating his estate in Hampshire County, where scant rainfall had triggered a ban on water use in gardens. Schwarzman didn't officially violate the rules, which don't apply to construction sites, but the community was furious at the filling of a large man-made lake during a drought.

After studying the powerful force pulling two massive black holes toward each other, scientists were able to confirm one of Stephen Hawking's most important theories, his area theorem. This theorem states that the surface area of a black hole can never decrease. By analyzing the gravitation between two colliding black holes, researchers were able to accurately measure their size before and after the collision. Gravitation has a Latin root that means "heaviness or weight."

Bordeaux is on track to become the most solar-powered city in France, and it's using innovative methods to achieve this goal. Inventive tweaks to traditional solar power include panels that are transparent or resemble terracotta — innovations that will help protect the city's historic architecture. Planners have also designed a new photovoltaic cover for a bicycle path that will offer shade to cyclists while generating power. The Latin root of innovative means "to change."

Australia's Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority approved a vaccine to prevent a disease that can be deadly in koalas. In the past, when the tailless, bear-like marsupials were infected with chlamydia — their leading cause of death — they were treated with antibiotics. That treatment, however, makes it hard for the koalas to digest eucalyptus leaves, their only food source. Scientists are hopeful that the vaccine will reduce infections and deaths of the beloved animals.

A new David Bowie archive in East London allows visitors to explore all of the rock star's vivid onstage personas. Fans can delve into a collection of 90,000 items that once belonged to the iconic British musician, including costumes he wore in the guise of each character. These distinct, highly theatrical identities included Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and the Thin White Duke. The original meaning of the Latin persona was "a mask" or "a false face."