Michael T. Starks

Category: Society

  • A Troubling Number

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    Today, the New York Times reported that there are only 124 researchers left at the Environmental Protection Agency, down from more than 1,500 a year ago. Why does this number matter? Oh, let me count the ways! While there are many more reasons, these are enough for me. President Trump has made many blunders, from…

  • Death Vault

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    So, here’s an idea for any morbid entrepreneurs out there. I have a social media presence: mostly photos and somewhat interesting posts on Facebook and LinkedIn. Karilyn and I have a company with some products that could continue being sold after we die. I also have a Vimeo account and several websites that potentially could…

  • Whiskers > Teeth

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    As a signal, I’m convinced that whiskers are better than teeth. Imagine that you’ve gone one day without shaving or brushing your teeth. And let’s assume you don’t remember what you did this morning. How can you know for sure whether or not you shaved or brushed your teeth? Your whiskers know! If you shaved,…

  • Inspirational Science

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    Here are a few stories that I find inspiring. The fact that we continue to make progress in science is exciting.

  • More People Should Know about JCM

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    James Clerk Maxwell is one of my heroes. It seems to me that more people should know about his amazing contributions to physics and see him as a true hero. This is why I’m writing a screenplay about his life. It’s why I hope to make a movie about his extraordinary accomplishments. I’m in the…

  • Isolation Patterns

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    When I was growing up (in the 1970’s), we would often get together with my dad’s large family or my mom’s family. Kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all spent a decent amount of time together. Have I provided that experience to our kids? Not nearly to the same degree. I got to know…

  • My R2-D2 Calendar

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    I’ve come to love this R2-D2 calendar! Sure, I like that it’s a fun Star Wars toy that makes several different R2-D2 sounds when you select the day of the month. But I’m more intrigued by the mathematical questions it poses. For example, what is the minimum number of blue items needed to represent every…

  • Finding Your Purpose

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    Sometimes I write to share my thoughts on what other people have written. Today, I got an email from Mark Manson. He says, “We live in a culture obsessed with discovering your one true purpose—a billion-dollar self-help industry, countless TED talks, and graduation speeches that promise every person a unique, singular calling. Yet surveys show…

  • Alcohol

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    I don’t think of myself as an alcoholic. Even though I realize that I drink more alcohol than is typically suggested for me to be as healthy as I would like. When I look at my aunts, uncles, friends, and other family members, I recognize that I’m not alone in wanting to drink alcohol to…

  • The Academy Awards

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    Ahead of time, I correctly guessed 14 of the 21 Academy Awards granted today. That’s two-thirds, or 66%: not a good grade from an academic POV! But it’s also not bad. My movie sensibilities at least track with the people voting. Have I seen ALL of the movies nominated? No. Especially not the shorts. But…