BACKUP ORIGINAL TWIW May 25–May 31, 2025

Cuts to federal education grants threaten to end after-school programs that have proven benefits for students. Among other effects, these programs reduce numbers of absentees. Experts say that students are often so engaged by their after-school activities — and bolstered by access to resources, including food — that their school attendance benefits. Absentee, "one who is absent," is from absent and the suffix -ee, used for a person in a particular condition.

Public health experts are warning people who use nutrition apps to keep several caveats in mind. Users of the apps can scan food labels and see nutritional information and health ratings, as well as suggestions for healthier choices. Nutritionists caution that identical products often earn wildly different scores and different apps offer conflicting advice. Another caveat was the fact that some apps are based on bad science. In Latin, caveat means "let him beware."

Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh became the first to swim all the way around Martha's Vineyard. Pugh swam 60 miles over several days, circumnavigating the island to advocate and raise awareness for sharks. The historic swim happened weeks before the 50th anniversary of Jaws, a movie that was filmed on Martha's Vineyard and famously portrays sharks as villains. The Latin roots of circumnavigate are circum, "around," and navigare, "to sail."

After years of theorizing about the mental and physical benefits of music, scientists have empirical evidence showing that it can help reduce the perception of pain. One study found that patients who heard music after surgery needed half the amount of morphine taken by those who didn't. In another study, playing Chopin or Mozart for dogs during surgery was proven to deepen their sedation levels. Empirical is from the Greek empeirikos, "experienced."

Scientists solved a geological mystery, determining that the deepest river gorge in the U.S. is about two million years old, much younger than previously thought. Hell's Canyon is also 2,000 feet deeper than the five-million-year-old Grand Canyon, and it's not nearly as well-studied. By examining ancient sediment inside barely accessible caves within the steep gorge, geologists were finally able to date its origin to 2.1 million years ago.

Lumpy growths formed on plants by parasitic insects can shelter their larvae from wildfires, according to a new study. Researchers in Brazil found that some of the knobby bumps, which form when Boheman weevils lay their eggs, had survived a massive fire. When they cut the growths open, they discovered many immature weevils still living inside. Larva, "ghost" or "mask" in Latin, is used for juvenile animals that look totally different from, or "mask," their adult forms.

Historians are reconsidering their assumptions about soccer's lineage after a 17th-century football pitch was discovered in Scotland. For 200 years, experts have traced the game's roots to "mob football," a chaotic sport that was popular in England during the Middle Ages. Thanks to the discovery of the Scottish field and accompanying evidence, a letter written by a pastor decrying the playing of "Foot-Ball" on Sundays, Scotland is now laying claim to being the birthplace of modern soccer.

An environmental law in Mumbai banning wood-fired bakeries will raise the price of one staple, pav bread, making the cost onerous for most locals. The ban, meant to reduce air pollution, will affect the affordable, fluffy bread, which has a distinctive smoky flavor. Switching to electric ovens will change the taste of pav and double its price, a financial burden to working class residents. Onerous is from the Latin onerosus, "burdensome or oppressive."

New rules in Japan are intended to stop parents from giving their babies quirky names. The Japanese government is cracking down on what's known as kirakira, "shiny or glittery" names, which have become popular in recent years. These idiosyncratic, creative names are often formed by using unconventional pronunciations of kanji, the Chinese-based characters used in Japanese writing. Some resulting quirky names have included "Pikachu," "Kitty," and "Pu," for Winnie-the-Pooh.

President Trump rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for bombing Ukraine and defying U.S. efforts to broker a cease-fire deal. The unusually sharp criticism followed a barrage of missile and drone attacks on May 25 in what the Ukrainian Air Force described as the largest air attack of the war. Trump said he would consider sanctions on Russia and that he was "not happy" with Putin's actions.

A researcher found that some Cooper’s hawks use pedestrian crossings and traffic patterns as part of their hunting strategy. Zoologist Vladimir Dinets studied one raptor in West Orange, New Jersey for 18 days. He observed the hawk making a strategic plan of action: the bird would wait to emerge from nearby trees until a pedestrian crosswalk began beeping and a line of waiting cars formed. It would then use the stopped vehicles as cover, flying low before diving toward its prey.

In the Pacific Northwest, used Japanese firetrucks are both trendy and utilitarian, especially for small-scale farming and deliveries. In Seattle, owners of the bright red trucks include a dahlia farmer who has found hers to be useful for hauling buckets, tools, and other supplies. Kei trucks have tiny cabs and big beds, making them handy for carrying things and easy to park. Utilitarian is from utility and the Latin utilitatem, "usefulness."

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to vacate a rule barring medical debt from appearing on credit reports. The rule, set to go into effect this year, would have eliminated billions of dollars of medical debt from records, making it easier for people who owe money for medical care and hospital stays to buy cars and homes. CFPB's leadership opposes the rule; a lawsuit will determine if it will be canceled. Vacate, "make void," has a Latin root meaning "be empty."

The European Space Agency will broadcast a live performance of the Blue Danube Waltz into space this week. The orchestral piece, by Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, was featured in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It's composed of five interconnected themes in ¾ time and is considered to be the most famous waltz ever written. The German source of waltz is Waltzer, from walzen, "to roll or dance."

It took four British hikers less than a week to trek from London to the summit of Mt. Everest and back, a trip that normally takes weeks. The climbers used xenon gas to avoid the usual long adjustment period. With the help of an anaesthesiologist, the four regularly inhaled increasing amounts of the colorless gas for two weeks before their climb. The gas helps people acclimatize to high altitudes, but its use is controversial. Xenon is from the Greek xenos, "strange."