"Last Lecture" CMU Professor Randy Pausch Dies

Many readers are sending in word that Randy Pausch has died at 47. The charismatic young college professor celebrated life despite a death sentence from pancreatic cancer in a remarkable speech widely known as the "Last Lecture." The video went viral and has been downloaded by over 10 million people.

Worth the time

For those of you who haven't seen the video, take some time to watch it. Really, it's worth it.

Re:Worth the time

His lecture has also been made into a book, which elaborates a bit more and contains a few extra stories.

Interesting lecture

Discovered his lecture on the internet late last year just as I was moving to Pittsburgh. It's quite an interesting and inspiring story. He was a remarkable individual. Rest in Peace, friend.

Respect

Is it possible to organize a minute of silence on the Slashdot? Oh well, I know the answer.

Godspeed

That was an amazing speech, Professor Pausch. Your family will be in my prayers. You had a great way of looking at life, and I sincerely believe that your children will benefit very much from that.

I know many people who already have...

Re:Godspeed

He was a remarkable man. I live just north of Pittsburgh and had the honor of meeting him briefly early last year. He will be remembered well by all, not just those around the CMU area.

Prosper.

He apparently has a speaking role [wikipedia.org] in the new Star Trek film. I wouldn't be surprised to see a dedication now as well.

Everyone hug your kids or your parents or whomever is next to you (if that's allowed by your HR policy). You never know when your time is up.

Transcription of "Last Lecture"

Follow the link for the transcription of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture [go.com].

May his children come to fully understand

How much he loved them and what a truly remarkable and inspirational person he was.

Requiem in Pacet.

Get the full story, sans ads and crap

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4614281 [go.com]

A sad day for everyone that watched his speech

Off all the viral videos I've seen over the years, I think his "Last Lecture" was the most moving and worthwhile I have ever seen.

It's pretty hard to talk about something as scary as terminal cancer, yet while he kept reminding the listeners of his condition, his energy and charisma kept making you forget that the man was sick.

It's too bad the article that Yahoo! had failed to mention that he got to spend a day with the Pittsburgh Steelers and their wide receiver, Hines Ward. While he didn't actually play in the NFL, I imagine he came as close as he was going to get. I think he managed to nail all of his "bucket list".

People with such great vision are hard to come by. Having that vision while still having such a willingness to share it with others, with great entusiasm, is even more rare.

May his family keep their memories of him always in their minds. R.I.P.

Re:A sad day for everyone that watched his speech

No kidding -- I shed a few tears for this guy. If there was one thing I got from that lecture, it was a different perspective on brick walls. On the bright side, he beat the odds by a nontrivial amount, and he savored every last moment he could.

If only...

If only our politicians were a 1/10th of the man that he was.

Re:If only...

Or, failing that, if only they could die as quickly as he did.

(Apologies for the inappropriate humour, I was deeply moved by his lecture and even more so by his passing away. On behalf of ACs all over the internet, I wish him much success in the great lecture hall in the sky.)

More than The Last Lecture

While he recently became a household name with The Last Lecture, he was a longtime proponent of gaming as a vehicle for computer science education. His work at CMU, and partnerships with Disney and Electronic Arts, helped legitimize gaming and play in the university, and brought the university into the video game industry. Even before The Last Lecture anyone who had the chance to study with him or just chat with him for a few minutes knew they were talking with a man with a passion for play, technology and life, and a lifelong sense of wonder we can all emulate. Three cheers for Randy Pausch!

Tearful

I'm all tears as I write this. I've been following Prof Pausch on web since the time that video was posted. If you see his video, blog and other web commentary, you would realize how he was the embodiment of positive energy.

Hell, I even checked on him last week - and his blog posted that he was off chemo. I was happy to know that he was doing well. :(

Prof Pausch, we will miss you.

Re:Tearful

Quote: "I mean, the metaphor I've used is ... somebody's going to push my family off a cliff pretty soon, and I won't be there to catch them. And that breaks my heart. But I have some time to sew some nets to cushion the fall. So, I can curl up in a ball and cry, or I can get to work on the nets."

Wow.

Re:Tearful

That is probably the single most touching thing I have ever seen or read. That kind of attitude, especially when staring at his own mortality, is the very definition of all things honourable. Not only did he lay out those nets for his own family, but for everyone. Professor Pausch will be missed by many, for sure, but his great deeds and genuine humility will continue to inspire, and will far outlast any sorrow...

Official CMU release

http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/beyond/2008/summer/an-enduring-legacy.shtml [cmu.edu]

Re:Official CMU release

Hrm, better links:
News release [cmu.edu]
Homepage story [cmu.edu]

He is survived by his wife, Jai, and three children: Chloe, Dylan and Logan. The family requests that donations on his behalf be directed to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network [pancan.org], 2141 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245, or to Carnegie Mellons Randy Pausch Memorial Fund [cmu.edu], which the university will use primarily to support continued work on the Alice project.

Wow

You have to be brave to be able to face what he did the way he did it. I think I would rather be run over by a train without a moment's notice.

an amazing article from the Brown Alumni Magazine

I actually read the article first and then googled more references.
This article is amazing. [brownalumnimagazine.com]

My wife's father died from metastatic colin cancer that went to his lungs. She still has bouts of depression, and I have often wondered what I should be doing to help her and my kids should I check out early. This is the best that I have ever come across.

Re:My dad too

You owe it to your dad and Pausch's memory to watch it.

He knew how hard the future was going to be to him and his family. Instead of resigning himself to his fate, he poured his heart and soul into achieving the dreams he has held and preparing his children for the future. A noble effort and one that inspires, even in such sad times.

Re:RIP

Two years ago, I'd had all the symptoms of pancreatic cancer and my doctor had ordered up an MRI to check it out. For 4 days, between getting told to get the test and when the results came in, I just wandered around like I'd been drugged. Thankfully, the result was negative, but to this day, I can't imagine how that guy managed to refocus his mind and life. Pancreatic cancer usually means "6 months" (or less) and for a lot of that the living is a technicality.

You done good, guy.

RIP = "Requiescat In Pace"

Never thought I'd be a grammar Nazi in Latin. Professor Paush's lecture was truly heartwarming and inspiring. My thoughts are with his family and friends, and I hope they'll keep his memory alive for his young children. It's sad to think that they'll never truly know him.