Harrison Jones, 13, was approached by his history teacher at Thurman White Middle School in Henderson on Wednesday with a message: “It passed.”

“Freedom” is often a Republican talking point, but Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to reclaim the concept for Democrats as part of her campaign for the presidency. In a speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, she declared that “fundamental freedoms” were at stake in the November election, including “the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis.”

“Freedom” is often a Republican talking point, but Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to reclaim the concept for Democrats as part of her campaign for the presidency. In a speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, she declared that “fundamental freedoms” were at stake in the November election, including “the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis.”

As a science communication scholar, I’ve always supported vaccination and trusted medical experts – and I still do. As a new mom, however, I’ve been confronting new-to-me emotions and concerns while weighing decisions about my son’s health.

Emma Frances Bloomfield, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, explores the effective use of storytelling in science communication. Bloomfield supports vaccination and trusts medical experts, but as a new mom, she has faced a wave of online misinformation about potential vaccine risks. She notes that anti-vaccine advocates often deploy personal stories that make their case compelling.

As a science communication scholar, I’ve always supported vaccination and trusted medical experts – and I still do. As a new mom, however, I’ve been confronting new-to-me emotions and concerns while weighing decisions about my son’s health.

A shimmering monolith seemed to appear in the Nevada desert this week, captivating the imaginations of hundreds of thousands and spurring news reports in the U.S. and abroad. But the object may have been there for years.

UNLV scholar Emma Bloomfield discusses strategies for science storytelling.