Conversations
Fifteen Questions: Gaia Bencini on Egyptology, Hieroglyphics, and ‘Dreaming the Sphinx’
The Egyptology PhD candidate sat down with FM to discuss Ancient Egyptian artifacts, translating hieroglyphs, and misconceptions about the ancient Near East.
Fifteen Questions: Arthur Brooks on Barcelona, Baldness, and the Science of Happiness
The HBS professor and happiness columnist say down with FM to discuss his time as a professional french horn player, his conversion to Catholicism, and escaping workaholism.
After Historic Olympic Gold, Lauren Scruggs is Giving Back
Hailing from Queens, NY, Lauren Scruggs ’25 is a fencer and Philosophy concentrator. She rose to athletic stardom overnight for her performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she won a team gold medal and an individual silver medal, becoming the first Black American woman to win an individual medal in fencing.
Fifteen Questions: Finale Doshi-Velez on AI Decision Making, Novel Writing and Unicorns
Computer Science Professor Finale Doshi-Velez sat down with Fifteen Minutes to talk about artificial intelligence in healthcare decision making, the dangers of “boring AI,” and writing what may be her first novel.
Fifteen Questions: Spencer Weinreich on Solitary Confinement, Religious Violence, and Quizbowl Grooming
Junior Fellow Spencer Weinreich sat down with FM to discuss the history of solitary confinement, the meaning of his tattoos, and being a “textual omnivore.”
Fifteen Questions: Bruce H. Mann on Legal History, Studying Debt, and Owning Golden Retrievers
Legal Historian Bruce Mann sat down with FM to discuss socratic teaching, the pervasiveness of debt, and supporting his wife, Senator Elizabeth Warren, on the campaign trail.
Zoë Hitzig is Generative and Intelligent. Is She Artificial?
Much like a large language model, the Zoë Hitzig available by Google search is so prolifically published that she seems capable of writing something about anything — from poetry to economics to philosophy — almost instantaneously.
Vera Mironova: A Scholar at the Frontlines of War
Mironova’s work takes her to the center of war. A scholar of armed conflict, she has embedded with military units around the world, including in Iraq and Ukraine.
Vera Mironova Photo
“The goal of my scholarship would be to better understand war through individual behavior in conflict,” Mironova says.
Fifteen Questions during the Solar Eclipse: Maya Jasanoff on the British Empire, Joseph Conrad, and Judging The Booker Prize
The history professor talked with Fifteen Minutes during the solar eclipse about being in a family of academics, postcolonial literature, and reading.
Maya Jasanoff Eclipse 15Q Picture
The trees began to sway and the bushes gently rustled as a breeze came over the courtyard. The shadows lost their strength.
