"Last Lecture" CMU Professor Randy Pausch Dies 208
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.
Prosper. (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
May his children come to fully understand (Score:5, Interesting)
How much he loved them and what a truly remarkable and inspirational person he was.
Requiem in Pacet.
If only... (Score:5, Interesting)
If only our politicians were a 1/10th of the man that he was.
Re:Tearful (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
My Condolances (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Godspeed (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
My dad too (Score:4, Interesting)
My father is also a professor (of civil engineering) and is dying of the same. He linked me this video - I'm afraid to watch it, afraid I'll break down.
I thank him anyway, to know that I am not alone.
an amazing article from the Brown Alumni Magazine (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
Fascinating man (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:RIP (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
Re:Prosper. (Score:0, Interesting)
Why bother? I'll just see them in Heaven for eternity. There is no rush to spend time with the people you love. We've got forever!
NY Times on how people die (Score:5, Interesting)
Cancer 20%
Heart Disease 25%
Old Age decline - demntia, pneumonia, etc. 40%
Other - accidents, etc. 15%
Re:Fruits of the man's labor here (Alice) (Score:2, Interesting)
Based on the discussion earlier this week about teaching children how to program, I followed a recommended link to the Alice language. What a fantastic idea that builds upon many of the concepts of teaching and learning an object based computer programming language. That it extends so naturally from the MIT based Scratch language is just a bonus.
So I got to know a little of Dr. Pausch's work earlier this week thank to Slashdot, and now get to sit here in sadness for a few minutes thanks to the same.
Fortunate to have him as a professor (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Still not sure... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Tearful (Score:1, Interesting)
I am so sad. His attitude reminded me a lot of my father (who also recently died from cancer). I began checking is blog regularly. And when he started outliving the estimates I (like an idiot) must have convinced myself that he was going to survive this, in spite of the fact that it was a terminal prognosis.
This is so terrible. I should be learning something here. I should try to take on the attitude that he had, apply it to my life and so on. But I can't right now.
Re:Prosper. (Score:5, Interesting)
On the contrary, I think that some people naturally avoid insincere affection as a defensive mechanism, to avoid being manipulated or otherwise taken advantage of. Hugs invoke a degree of physical intimacy that isn't always appropriate (especially in professional, as opposed to recreational or religious, contexts).
Re:Wow (Score:3, Interesting)
To everyone who hasn't has to glance at the sand and make that choice, it's disheartening how many people don't chose to live life as if they could be taken away at any moment. As someone who even had to THINK about it, it saddens me that I cannot live my life ready to leave at a moments notice.
But, at least I didn't stop to watch the sand flow out and neither did he. He has my respect for that.
I wish... (Score:4, Interesting)
I wish my schools had figures like this guy...
I went to school in eastern Europe, where we got a STRONG education=good education with a hard exam system.
Still sometimes it is not quantity of knowledge but positive spirit what people should be getting.
I read some negative comments, and I feel sorry for the people posting them.,,,,
Well, just my opinion.... and while I read a lot of interesting TECH stuff on /. (and thank for it), this is really a piece (the video) I am thankful for.
Cheers