Ripped from the Headlines: February 2021: This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for February 6–12, 2021

Seasonal allergies are getting worse because of climate change. Researchers have shown that compared with 1990, pollen seasons now start 20 days earlier, last 10 days longer, and produce 21 percent more pollen. This means that people who suffer from allergies spent more time sniffling and sneezing. Allergie was first coined in a German medical journal in 1906. The word was built from two Greek roots: allos, "different," and energeia, "energy."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that in addition to virtual content, the 2021 Oscars ceremony will include some in-person components taking place in several locations. In the early 1950s, the Oscars held simultaneous events in Los Angeles and New York, so the plans may include something along those lines — possibly including more cities around the world, since the awards have become much more international in recent years.

An 18,000-year-old conch shell discovered in southern France was recently found to be a working musical instrument. Since its discovery in 1931, archaeologists believed that it was a drinking vessel, but further study showed that the holes in it were cut in such a way that it could be played like a horn. The team studying the shell enlisted a horn player to try it out, and she produced strong, resonant notes. Concha means "seashell" in Latin.

The B.1.1.1.7 strain of the coronavirus that was first detected in the U.K. is spreading rapidly in the U.S. While this variant does not appear to be more deadly than the original strain, it is much more contagious and spreads rapidly through the population — between 35 and 45 percent faster. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) predicts that it will be the dominant strain in the U.S. by March, but says that the vaccines currently in use are effective against it.

President Biden announced the formation of a Civilian Climate Corps Initiative. His executive order gives the Interior and Agriculture Departments 90 days to formulate plans to hire and train workers to plant trees, reduce wildfire risk, protect watersheds, and increase access to recreation areas. This plan is part of the administration's mission to conserve 30 percent of the nation's land and water by 2030.

Sweden, Poland, and Germany have each expelled a Russian diplomat in retaliation for Russia's expulsion of three EU officials last week. Russian authorities say that the officials they removed had participated in last month's protests against the Putin government. Diplomat comes via Latin from the Greek diploma, meaning "a letter of recommendation," as in an official state document conferring special status on the bearer.

A study showed that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has less efficacy against the new coronavirus strain that evolved in South Africa than it does against the original virus. Doctors say that while it provides less protection against mild to moderate illness from that variant, it can still play an important role in fighting the virus in all its forms by helping populations achieve herd immunity.

Abraham Loeb, the chair of Harvard's astronomy department, wrote a book about 'Oumuamua, the mysterious object that zipped through our solar system in 2017. In the book, Loeb maintains that several of the object's unique properties — its speed, its brightness, and its trajectory, among others — mean that it was likely the product of extraterrestrial intelligence. Extra means "outside" in Latin, and terrestrial comes from terra, Latin for "earth."

Building materials like bricks and insulation are being made from mycelium, the part of a mushroom that grows underground like a plant's roots. Construction, especially concrete production, creates a huge amount of carbon dioxide, so using fungi to grow alternatives is an attractive prospect for fighting climate change. Some packing materials are also being made using similar methods, where mycelium is grown in molds that shape it for specific uses — the way styrofoam is currently used.

A new legal report published in the United Kingdom says that there is a "very credible case" that the Chinese government is engaging in genocide against the minority Uighur population in Xinjiang Province. The report details what it says are deliberate steps that Beijing is taking to destroy the Muslim minority, and it concludes that Chinese President Xi Jinping may be responsible for crimes against humanity.

Former President Trump's second impeachment trial started in the Senate. Impeachment managers from the House of Representatives asserted that he incited the riot at the Capitol on January 6, while his defense team argued that the trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its nominees for the 2021 induction ceremony. It's a diverse list that includes Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Devo, the Go-Go's, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, Dionne Warwick, and Rage Against the Machine. The final list will be announced in May, and the ceremony is planned for the fall. Induction derives from the Latin root inductionem, meaning "the admission or introduction (of someone)."

The Senate voted 56 to 44 to reject the argument from President Trump's lawyers that the trial is unconstitutional and that the Senate does not have jurisdiction in the case. Impeachment managers argued that the Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to impeach a president. Jurisdiction comes from the Latin words juris, "law," and dictio, "declare."

Elon Musk, currently the richest person on Earth, has pledged $100 million toward a new X Prize contest. The four-year challenge will involve fifteen teams competing to develop the most effective technology for capturing carbon from the atmosphere or ocean and locking it away permanently. The winning team will get $50 million, and second and third places will receive $20 and $10 million, respectively.

President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to help in the fight against the coronavirus. The law allows the government to direct companies to manufacture things seen as essential to the national defense — which in this case are tests, PPE (personal protective equipment like masks and face shields), and vaccination supplies.

In his first foreign policy address, President Biden called on Myanmar's military to relinquish power and return control of the country to its democratically elected leadership. He said that "force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election" and called for the release of everyone the military has arrested. Relinquere is a Latin verb meaning "to give up or to abandon."

Several spacecraft are due to arrive in Mars's orbit in the next couple of weeks. Three missions took advantage of a narrow launch window last summer when Mars and the Earth lined up perfectly for a (relatively) quick journey. The United Arab Emirates sent an orbiter to study the Martian atmosphere, and China and the U.S. each sent rovers to explore the surface, looking for signs of water and life. Rover was first used to describe a space-exploring vehicle in 1970.

A man in Rochester, New York discovered a hidden attic in a building he bought. Inside the sealed room, he found an early 20th-century photographer's studio full of equipment, ornate frames, and photographs. One of the prints was a portrait of the famed suffragist Susan B. Anthony, who lived in Rochester for much of her life. The items all belonged to James Ellery Hale, who ran a successful portrait studio from around 1900–1920, but nobody knows how all his gear ended up in the attic.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, beating the Kansas City Chiefs 31–9. The victory gave Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady his seventh championship ring, an all-time record. Victory comes from the Latin victor, meaning "winner or conqueror."

Mary Wilson, a renowned vocalist and member of the Supremes, died at 76 this week. The Supremes were the most successful vocal group in American history, with 12 number-one songs. The trio, which also included Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, was instrumental in creating the Motown sound that defined pop music in the 1960s. Wilson kept the group going after the other two members left, and went on to have a long career as a solo vocalist and author.