Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Interview.

Sharmiin Meymandinejad: Repression, War, and Human Dignity in Iran
Sharmiin (also spelled Sharmin) Meymandinejad is an Iranian human rights defender, writer, and theatre artist who founded the Imam Ali’s Popular Student Relief Society (IAPSRS) in 1999 to combat poverty and support vulnerable children and families. Iranian authorities arrested him in 2020 and charged him with “insulting” Iran’s leaders amid a broader crackdown on independent civil society; he was held for months, including time in solitary confinement, and reportedly denied medical care. After sustained pressure, IAPSRS was ordered dissolved. Now in exile, Meymandinejad speaks on repression, public executions, social trust, and civilian harm from sanctions and war, through grassroots work.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen6 days ago in Interview
Gayathri Narayanan on Suffering, Wisdom, and Inquiry: Who Becomes a Seeker?
Gayathri Narayanan is the founder and meditation teacher at Myndtree, where she integrates mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom teachings into modern life. Since 1995, she has explored contemplative traditions including Advaita Vedanta, Theravada, Zen, and Dzogchen Buddhism, grounding her work in both disciplined practice and everyday application. Formerly a leader in healthcare technology, she transitioned from corporate life to full-time teaching and service. Trained in mindfulness meditation with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and in nonviolent parenting through Echo Parenting & Education, Gayathri brings a secular, inclusive approach to mindfulness, parenting, and well-being for individuals, families, and organizations.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen6 days ago in Interview
Humanity at 85 Seconds to Midnight: What the 2026 Doomsday Clock Really Means
When scientists warn that humanity is closer than ever to catastrophic destruction, it’s easy to brush it off as abstract or alarmist. But on January 27, 2026, something unusual happened: the world’s most famous symbolic measure of global risk — the Doomsday Clock — was moved to 85 seconds to midnight, marking the *closest it has ever been to a theoretical “end of civilization.”
By Sylvester6 days ago in Interview
TMM M1ckey: Authenticity and Ambition in Modern Hip-Hop
Emerging artist TMM M1ckey is steadily making a name for himself in the music industry by focusing on authenticity and relatability. Unlike many artists who present an image of overnight success, he emphasizes the realities of the journey, connecting with listeners who are still striving for more in their own lives. His approach to music blends personal experience with a keen understanding of the contemporary digital landscape, offering insight into both his art and the process of achieving recognition. TMM M1ckey shares, “I believe that people should care because my music is for anyone chasing more out of life while still dealing with real **** day to day.” In this statement, he underlines the universal nature of his music. His songs are not meant for a niche audience or only for those who have already reached success, but for individuals navigating the complexities of everyday life while pursuing their ambitions. He states that this perspective informs both his lyrical content and the emotional tone of his music, creating an authentic connection with listeners. He further explains his artistic stance by saying, “I don’t pretend I’ve made it. I rap from the middle of the climb, and that’s where most people actually are.” This acknowledgment reflects a grounded approach to artistry, one that values honesty over exaggeration. By positioning himself as someone actively in the process of growth, TMM M1ckey creates a sense of shared experience with his audience, emphasizing that the journey is as important as the destination. In doing so, he avoids the common trope of portraying instant success, instead highlighting perseverance and the realities of everyday challenges.
By Cloutfly6 days ago in Interview
An Artist’s Perspective: Blockbaby1400 Speaks on Creativity and Industry Change
Blockbaby1400 is an artist who positions his music around intentionality, emotional connection, and self-assured creativity. Through his own words, he outlines how he approaches songwriting, how he views listener engagement, and how he interprets the evolving role of the internet in the music industry. His perspective reflects both confidence in his work and a critical awareness of broader industry trends. Describing the essence of his sound, Blockbaby1400 explains the effect he aims to have on listeners. He shares, “My music gives off an addictive aura; you have to keep listening to it.” He connects that outcome directly to his creative process, stating, “That’s how I write; I write to draw people in.” According to him, his approach as an artist is deliberate and uncompromising. “The type of artist I am, I don’t give room for free will,” he says, framing his music as something meant to command attention rather than simply exist in the background. He further characterizes his work as grounded in honesty and relatability. “I’m so raw, so real, and so relatable it’s like, ‘Yo, why not listen to this dude?’” he states. From his perspective, this authenticity allows his music to reach a broad audience. “I make music for everyone. I’m a well-rounded artist,” he says, emphasizing inclusivity rather than a niche focus.
By Cloutfly6 days ago in Interview
Shotgun Suge Is Having His Breakout Year With Me Personally
Shotgun Suge has spent years commanding respect in the battle rap world, and now 2026 is shaping up to be his breakout year. With the release of his new mixtape Me Personally, the New Jersey rapper is proving that his influence extends far beyond the battle stage. The project has quickly gone viral, and billboards across New Jersey are putting his name in the spotlight, while Heart of Hollywood Magazine has highlighted the mixtape as one of the year’s most talked-about independent releases.
By Michelle Du'Bois6 days ago in Interview
Mike Ruga Is Building His Name the Old-Fashioned Way, One Laugh at a Time
Comedy has always had a strong foothold in New Jersey. The clubs along the shore, the small theaters tucked into downtown streets, and the countless open mics across the state have served as training grounds for generations of performers who learned how to win over tough crowds. Audiences here do not hand out laughs easily. You earn them. That tradition continues today, and one of the comedians steadily earning his place among those ranks is Mike Ruga.
By Michelle Du'Bois6 days ago in Interview
Russian Warship and the Myth of Invincibility. AI-Generated.
I, Thorne Empire, want to talk to you about why I wrote “Russian Warship,” and why this song exists the way it does. It wasn’t born from a marketing plan or a trend. It came from watching a war unfold in real time and feeling that familiar, helpless burn in the chest; the one that says silence would be a kind of surrender.
By Thorne Empire7 days ago in Interview
Muhammad Zain Ul Abideen (Zain Jee). AI-Generated.
Muhammad Zain Ul Abideen, popularly known as Zain Jee, was born on 29th July 2005 in Sahiwal, Pakistan. From a young age, he showed a strong interest in performing arts and digital media. His passion for creativity and content creation laid the foundation for his later ventures into acting, singing, and social media engagement.
By Muhammad Zain7 days ago in Interview
Living in a hemp house. Top Story - January 2026.
Hemp, a multi-purpose crop that delivers fibres, shivs, seeds, and pharmaceuticals is currently used in insulation materials and bio-composites for a more sustainable construction industry. Russ Martin and his wife Karon Korp tell their story as owners of the first hemp house in the U.S.
By Susan Fourtané 8 days ago in Interview
Fumfer Physics 39: Anthropic Principle, Cosmic Scale, and Why We Live in the Middle
Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner explore whether the ratio between the observable universe and the smallest physical scales carries deeper significance. Rosner situates the question within the anthropic principle: observers necessarily arise in regions and eras compatible with simple life. Humans exist near an active star, within the universe’s luminous core, because complex or long-lived civilizations would occupy very different energetic regimes. Rosner extends this reasoning to human history itself, noting that the present era contains the largest concentration of humans who have ever lived, making it statistically unsurprising that we find ourselves “now.” The result is not cosmic centrality, but observational inevitability.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen8 days ago in Interview
Fumfer Physics 38: Information, Quantum Fuzziness, and the Hidden Architecture of the Universe
Scott Douglas Jacobsen revisits a long-standing idea with Rick Rosner, tracing it from an Errol Morris documentary to Rosner’s current thinking about information and cosmology. Rosner reflects on the proton–electron mass ratio as potentially non-arbitrary, speculating that it may encode something fundamental about the universe’s informational structure. He connects quantum fuzziness, mass, curvature, and collapsed matter to a broader picture in which much of the universe’s information is hidden in gravitationally dense regions tied to earlier cosmic eras. Framed explicitly as speculation, Rosner’s view treats particle precision as possibly emergent from the universe’s total informational budget.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen8 days ago in Interview