Conversations
Fifteen Questions: Reginald Dwayne Betts on Vulnerability, Collective Memory, and Freedom Reads
The visiting professor of English sat down with Fifteen Minutes to discuss poetry, prison literature, and collective memory.
For Sara Jane Ho, Etiquette is Everywhere
An etiquette expert, Ho is best known as the host of the Netflix series “Mind Your Manners” and for founding Institute Sarita, China’s first finishing school.
Are We Doing Friendship Wrong?
Alex Chueh wants to turn to anyone anywhere and strike up a conversation. Which is exactly what he’s done — over 1,000 times since 2022.
Fifteen Questions: Theda Skocpol on The Election, The Ivory Tower, and The New England Patriots
The sociologist sat down with FM to discuss U.S. authoritarianism, campus protest, and her favorite football team.
For Alejandra Caraballo, the Next 4 Years Are About Survival
Caraballo anticipates dark days ahead for the trans community. “We are going to lose a lot of people,” she says. “I don’t want to sugarcoat it, these next four years are going to be about survival.”
Alejandra Caraballo portrait
Caraballo’s visible role in the trans community has added another layer to her experience of the election. On social media, she is outspoken about anti-LGBTQ policy, using her 100K followers on Bluesky and 34K followers on Threads to raise awareness around anti-LGBTQ legislation and rhetoric.
Meet Nina Howe-Goldstein, the Real Hater of Cambridge, Mass.
When Howe-Goldstein transferred to Harvard, she expected to find a rigid academic environment. Then she heard about the $30,000 HUFPI scandal. “I thought to myself, ‘Wait, this place is a complete freak show, but I’m gonna have so much fun here,’” she says.
Strava Comes Full Circle
The popular fitness app Strava emerged through a friendship between former lightweight rowers Mark S. Gainey '90 and Michael T. Horvath '88.
Strava founders photo
Strava, a popular app where physical activity meets social media, emerged through a decades-long friendship between its founders, Mark S. Gainey '90 (left) and Michael T. Horvath '88 (right).
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.