Humanity
Matthew Scillitani on Measuring the Extreme Right Tail with a Supervised Timed High-Range Ability Test
Matthew Scillitani is a psychometrics practitioner at Neurolus Psychometrics focused on developing supervised, time-limited high-range ability examinations. He co-launched The Mental Inventor with Paul Cooijmans as an empirical testbed for a central measurement question: whether performances can be validly differentiated in the extreme right tail under proctored conditions. His approach emphasizes procedural integrity—identity verification, approved proctoring, and rule enforcement—alongside cautious claims about interpretation until reliability and validity evidence is established. He highlights emerging threats to unsupervised testing, including AI-assisted responding and large-scale collaboration, and advocates peer review before formal reclassification.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen2 months ago in Interview
Anonymous Indian Medical Student in Ukraine: Kharkiv Survival, Germany Detour, and Faith Under Fire
In this interview, Scott Douglas Jacobsen speaks with Anonymous Indian in Ukraine, an Indian medical student who moved within Madhya Pradesh before leaving for Ukraine in 2020 due to high costs and intense competition for Indian medical seats. He describes Kharkiv’s diverse prewar life, then the shock of the February 24, 2022 invasion, shortages, and evacuation to Lviv amid overcrowded trains and failing infrastructure. He recounts moving through Poland to Germany with volunteer help, navigating refugee registration, language barriers, and work requirements. He later returned to Kharkiv for document renewal, enduring months of sirens, drones, and outages, while sustaining hope and study through faith.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen2 months ago in Interview
Rabbi Sarah Hronsky, Interfaith Cooperation and Social Justice: Hunger, Homelessness, and Durable Partnership
Rabbi Sarah Hronsky is Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Hillel, serving since July 2003 after ordination at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. She holds master’s degrees in Hebrew Letters and Jewish Communal Service and is a Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Rabbinic Leadership Initiative. She is the President of the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders and Immediate Past President of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California. Honored with the 2023 Los Angeles Pioneer Women Award, she focuses on interfaith dialogue and social justice, including homelessness, and serves on the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry Board.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen2 months ago in Interview
Fumfer Physics 40: Cosmic Ratios, Large Numbers, and the Information Structure of the Universe
In this exchange, Scott Douglas Jacobsen asks Rick Rosner about striking ratios in physics that appear across vastly different scales. Rosner points to large-number disparities, such as the enormous strength difference between electromagnetism and gravity at the particle level, and contrasts microscopic lengths with the scale of the observable universe. He cautions against misapplied figures, noting that some famous numbers belong to entirely different physical contexts. While no single cosmic object strikes him as anomalous, Rosner emphasizes unresolved questions about cosmic maturity, heavy-element origins, and the nature of time. He ultimately frames time as closely tied to information flow, arguing that our lack of a rigorous definition of information remains one of physics’ deepest gaps.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen2 months ago in Interview
Smart buildings of glass
Whether you are arriving to or departing from Helsinki Airport, the first thing you notice is the glass around you and the characteristic Finnish design. If you pay attention, you will find yourself believing there are some forest elves watching you. The impressive structure features glass that playfully illuminates the wood present everywhere.
By Susan Fourtané 2 months 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 2 months ago in Interview
The Real Life of Women in the Adult Film Industry
The adult film industry occupies a strange place in modern society. It is widely consumed yet rarely understood, openly discussed yet deeply stigmatized. For many viewers, adult films are reduced to moments of fantasy—carefully edited scenes designed to provoke desire and escape. What remains invisible is the reality of the women behind those performances: their lives, struggles, ambitions, and contradictions.
By Dipayan Biswas2 months ago in Interview
Rabbi Debra Bennet on Jewish Community, the Ethics of Belonging, and Building Inclusive “Third Spaces” at a JCC
Rabbi Debra Bennet is the Director of Jewish Life & Learning at the Mid Island Y JCC in Plainview, NY. Ordained in 2007, she has served as Rabbi Educator at Temple Beth Torah in Melville and Associate Rabbi at Temple Chaverim in Plainview, where she developed programs to engage teens and strengthen the Jewish community. Rabbi Bennet focuses on the ethics and practice of belonging, fostering dialogue across differences, navigating pastoral and communal challenges, and creating inclusive, connected communities in synagogues, schools, and Jewish organizations.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen2 months ago in Interview
Is This the Rights' Fight? Wrong Turn on Right 5: Charlie Kirk Case, Prosecutor Disqualification, and Israel Debate
Irina Tsukerman is a human rights and national security attorney based in New York and Connecticut. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in National and Intercultural Studies and Middle East Studies from Fordham University in 2006, followed by a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law in 2009. She operates a boutique national security law practice. She serves as President of Scarab Rising, Inc., a media and security strategic advisory firm. Additionally, she is the Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Outsider, which focuses on foreign policy, geopolitics, security, and human rights. She is actively involved in several professional organizations, including the American Bar Association’s Energy, Environment, and Science and Technology Sections, where she serves as Program Vice Chair in the Oil and Gas Committee. She is also a member of the New York City Bar Association. She serves on the Middle East and North Africa Affairs Committee and affiliates with the Foreign and Comparative Law Committee.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen2 months ago in Interview
10 Minutes with Bill Gates
Introduction Spending 10 minutes with Bill Gates may sound brief, but even a short conversation with one of the world’s most influential innovators can offer insights that last a lifetime. As the co-founder of Microsoft, a philanthropist, an author, and a global thought leader, Bill Gates has shaped how the world uses technology and how it addresses some of its most pressing challenges. In just ten minutes, one could explore decades of experience in innovation, leadership, failure, success, and global responsibility.
By shaoor afridi3 months ago in Interview
