decay

Symbols of neglect and urban decay abound in artist Sayre Gomez’s “Precious Moments” at David Kordansky Gallery, on view through March 1.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

They include food shortages, water contamination, plumbing stoppages, lost mail, and mental health decay, spurring some crew members to jump ship.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

By examining atmospheric drag through the gradual decay of satellite orbits, the team estimated thermospheric density around approximately 1,200 satellites flying at an altitude of 482 kilometers.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Mostly associated with death and decay, perhaps it is not surprising that when vultures disappeared from the skies across many West African cities, they were not missed.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

When it found the red-furred form of the fox, motionless but giving off no odor of decay, it circled lower to investigate.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker

Sphagnum moss can hold 20 times its weight in water and helps create peat bogs, where dead vegetation accumulates rather than decays, capturing carbon in the ground.

From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2026

It contains radium that decays into radon gas, which is radioactive and can cause cancer.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2025

Keeping the truth from someone might not be outright dishonesty, but it’s a rot that decays the same way, just festering at a slower pace.

From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2025

It gets creaky and decays, eventually becoming tasty sustenance for worms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2025

“His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!”

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

To investigate the mystery, the researchers measured gamma rays produced as a radioactive copper isotope decayed into zinc.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Yet, despite this surge of security personnel, basic living conditions have only decayed.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

“Remote and hybrid work used to be a privilege, but its benefits over in-person work have decayed across the board,” Chris Martin, senior economist at Glassdoor, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026

Zoologists believe the animal decayed for weeks before it was fossilised and this led to the case of mistaken identity.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026

And ever since that day the race of Númenor has decayed, and the span of their years has lessened.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

When the local economy began declining in the 1970s, the store closed its doors and sat abandoned and decaying.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Corpse flowers bloom for just 24 to 48 hours, and once opened, they reek of gym socks, rotten eggs and decaying flesh … or, well, a corpse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

But in some cases, blue skies can be seen through the facades, making the decaying structures look like theater props.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

According to Marek, millipedes were among the early pioneers of life on land, helping recycle nutrients by feeding on decaying organic material in some of the first terrestrial ecosystems.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026

She looked from side to side at the neighbors’ unfortunate, decaying houses.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner