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"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.
Requiem in Pacet
http://clightnirish.wordpress.com/
For those of you who haven't seen the video, take some time to watch it. Really, it's worth it.
"No one likes working in a hamster wheel, and your shop smells of cedar shavings from here." - TaleSpinner
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.
Is it possible to organize a minute of silence on the Slashdot? Oh well, I know the answer.
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. - Yogi Berra
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...
He apparently has a speaking role 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.
if it was my last days on earth, I'd spend it giving a lecture.
I'm not really sure I'd even spend it with clothes on...
Follow the link for the transcription of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture.
How much he loved them and what a truly remarkable and inspirational person he was.
Requiem in Pacet.
One of a kind..
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4614281
Some days it's just not worth
chewing through my restraints.
He was many things to many people, and my condolences to all who knew him personally.
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.
If only our politicians were a 1/10th of the man that he was.
This is my sig.
A big remember for him! ... and a strip
Watching the Last Lecture really does put things into perspective. Rest in Peace Dr. Pausch. The Pausch family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
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!
RIP. A widely regarded and inspiring lesson in accepting your cards as they are dealt, concentrating on the important stuff and making the most of your time. If you have not yet watched the lecture then make time to do so.
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.
... and thanks for some inspiration.
Fleur de Sel
http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/beyond/2008/summer/an-enduring-legacy.shtml
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.
[ home ]
Rest in peace. Both the world and academia need more men like you. Thank you for the inspiration you've given me without ever even meeting me. You will be missed.
The "Last Lecture" book is really great for anyone wanting to read something very uplifting and truly inspirational, especially for geeks. The guy was more concerned with passing on his love for life than focusing on how he would die.
On those lines, has anyone tried the alice software?
www.alice.org
Randy was very proud of this achievement, so giving it some attention/discussion seems appropriate here.
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.
I came across Dr. Pausch's lecture on the net, last year. I am grateful for having seen it. Very insightful and full of empathy. My condolences to his family.
A: You kill him.
One of the best ways to remember Prof Pausch is to push Alice.org on all the kids you know. I am not a programer, but it is a great way to get kids into programing. My 13 year old son uses it.
Thank you Randy for developing such a wonderful program
...then I think his video must have metastatized, instead of going viral.
I actually read the article first and then googled more references.
This article is amazing.
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.
Either give it away or get top dollar, but never sell yourself cheap.
The book is not worth the price though. Go sit in your local Borders and read it, or borrow it from the library.
It duplicates most of the video, with little else besides some things that Mr. Pausch wanted to include for his family.
Besides, the video has the laugh track...
Talk about leaving a meaningful legacy... He sure made the most of his last months.
That's not Picasso, that's Kandinsky!
Got sent his video and was entranced. It summed up an awful lot of what I felt was wrong with my life. I'd raise a glass to him but have given up drinking based on that lecture.
As so many /. posters are wont to do, it's nice to see that the normal sarcasm and wit aren't happening here.
He was a remarkable man, and the memory of him should be honored.
What a strange belief. Politics has been wrong and screwed up all the time, but it's just because it wasn't the right guy... And cue the supporters of a candidate : THIS guy, now he's for real, etc. Get a perspective, it's a systemic problem.
\u262D = \u5350
I might sadly add that, as a CMU student, this our third professor who we have lost in the past year. The other two professors, both in the biology department of CMU, were Dr. William Brown (http://www.cmu.edu/bio/news/2007/brown_tribute.html) and Dr. Elizabeth Jones (http://www.cmu.edu/bio/faculty/jones.shtml). All will be sorely missed, with Dr. Pausch being the most recent and visible.
"Someday I would like to quote myself."
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.
Fruits of the man's labor here (Alice)
http://www.alice.org/
During the first part of the summer one of the assignments in my Persuasion course was to watch his video. If there was one thing I took from that course more than any other it was the message he gave. The course was my last before finishing my BA in Communication, and while I had been accepted into graduate school I was uncertain if I wanted to go. His lecture truly helped me decide to move on and get my MA. And, while I am still a bit nervous about grad-school and even more so having to teach, his words are an inspiration to not let anything get in my way of living my life.
He was a great speaker, and more so a great motivator. If anything his death is a blessing and a curse. I feel sorry for his family's loss, but hope they find solace that he will live on for decades to come because of his words.
Thank you for your message. I'll never forget.
Even knowing it was coming, and coming sooner rather than later, it is still a tremendous shock to know that we have lost such an inspirational man.
How lucky we are to have his message.
For his wife Jai and his beautiful children, I hope that it is eventually some comfort to know that humanity recognizes what a unique gift we were privileged to share with you.
I thought this guy was Ego tripping, but that's what happens when you're faced with death - you realize none of it matters - so you do the only thing there's left to do: you surrender. He was forced into surrender.
Realize that you too are going to die, so deal with it. Unlike Pautsch you can choose to surrender now. And I don't mean giving up - that's just resistence.
Nonetheless, what he achieved is admirable.
Peace,
A couple weeks ago an article in the "Aging" series tabulated:
Cancer 20%
Heart Disease 25%
Old Age decline - demntia, pneumonia, etc. 40%
Other - accidents, etc. 15%
Thank you, Tigger, for the words of encouragement and giving a 40 yr old man the courage to go back to college. I won't let the walls keep me out.
Oh, for the days when sig's didn't have to be cute...hey, wait a sec.
I had Prof. Pausch as a teacher, in '97 or '98, at the University of Virginia in a "Usability Engineering" class. It was hands down the best class I took at The University, and he was an absolutely amazing teacher. His "last lecture" made him famous, but his work in the classroom is what made him great.
Very good video. Pretty funny at times too. Definately worth your while
Randy was partially responsible for the creation of an Entertainment Technology program at Sierra Nevada College. His program, Alice, was used as the tool that introduced many of us to creating Virtual Worlds.
I was in the first class they did for this and it was absolutely incredible. CMU really helped SNC get its program off the ground.
After watching his lecture on TED, I began implementing his teaching strategies in my training classes at my workplace...turns out the head fake concept works very well ;)
Trying to install linux on my microwave, but keep getting a kernel panic...
Perhaps you're too stupid to realize that is in fact not pandering, but that it is the way people talk when they disparately want you to listen.
Of all the souls I've encountered in my travels, his was the most ... human.
We all kind of know something vaguely in he back of minds. But what if you knew exactly? Would people behave differently? Randy used his final time wisely.
As I recall, we tried to land him at Va. Tech back in the late 80's. I remember that he made a big impression, even at the very beginning of his career. I was terribly disappointed that he went to The Other School instead.
He accomplished more in each year of his life than most of us will accomplish in a lifetime, and with The Last Lecture, he truly surpassed himself. Thanks, Randy, and Godspeed.
Death is a time to be sad. You lost someone and there will never be that same person again. Professor Pausch's approach to this is greedy and only aims to satisfy his ego. It's a time to show your weakness. That is the nature of all living things. Again, he has his own thing and I have my own.
Dr. Randy Pausch was part of the team that created Alice, a tool to teach programming masquerading as a game. Salute Dr. Pausch's memory by downloading Alice and playing with it. And if you can, help the effort to finish Alice v. 3!
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
I am sure that he'd appreciate a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 2141 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Mourns the Loss of Friend and Supporter, Dr. Randy Pausch
Dear Friends,
It is with great sadness that the staff and I mourn the passing of Dr. Randy Pausch.
Dr. Pausch, the Carnegie-Mellon professor who delivered the now famous The Last Lecture speech about the importance of achieving your childhood dreams, became a friend and supporter of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. He was also a loving husband, a devoted father, and a mentor who not only influenced and inspired his students and colleagues, but went on to inspire thousands, if not millions of people to follow their hearts and their dreams. We will be forever grateful for his support and commitment.
It is critically important to keep Dr. Pausch's message, "to make every day matter in the fight against pancreatic cancer," moving forward. He knew the importance and urgency of getting the message out to help drive the research funding needed to fight this disease. His philosophy of "every day matters" was a testament to his determination and strength despite the odds.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network honors Dr. Randy Pausch for his humanity and bravery during his fight against this terrible disease. His commitment to our organization will never be forgotten. We will miss him.
Sincerely,
Julie Fleshman
I will miss this man, even though I have never met him in person (I so wish I did), his lecture, like himself, is unforgettable. It was the most important lecture I have ever had the honour of participating - even though from a distance.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
You can watch it on YouTube, but unfortunately only broken up in small segments. I think it's much better to watch the whole lecture at once. I have found a Torrent for the video, I'm downloading (and seeding it) now.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
I am just starting as a grad student and our student services just sent me The Last Lecture yesterday and as I had nothing to do it lab I finished it this morning. It was an amazing autobiography for a man with an amazing outlook on life. I do recommend it for everyone. I am just sad that the day I read his book is the day he died. My thoughts go out to his family
Sadly, they are.
Death is a fundamental part of life. Without death, no one would respect or value the life he has. Everyone will react to death differently. Some will be sad; others will celebrate the positive contributions.
As for the "time to show your weakness," I completely disagree. Dr. Pausch has a wife and three children. Did his terminal cancer suddenly absolve him of his responsibilities to them? This isn't about him satisfying some egotistical urge, it's about him providing future support for his family. His stories are entertaining, yes, but the entertainment aspect is the "head fake" to get his audience to listen to and comprehend the deeper philosophical message. He could have just blurted out "work hard, don't give up," but it wouldn't have had the same impact.
He has set the bar pretty high. I should hope to be as much a man as he.
I have been following Porf Pausch's blog ever since the first video popped out. And, I have learned a lot.. the lectures are truly life changing. many people dont know about his 2nd lecture at CMU. that's amazing too - - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcYv5x6gZTA RIP Prof Pausch. You did beat the grim reaper.
I saw this article and the name vaguely rang a bell. Turns out, I was at UVa the same time he was there. I was also interested in VR, and did some extracurricular work with it that didn't go anywhere; but I learned a lot of valuable skills doing that. That connection, although tenuous, gives the lecture even more impact for me. It's sobering to think that I might have passed him in the halls and not even known. RIP, Mr. Pausch. And for the rest of us, carpe diem.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
Have you figured out the second head fake? The talk's not for you, it's for my kids. Thank you all, good night.
After reading the transcript and all the things that he has done, I think this is most impressive of them all.
RIP
Couldn't get in, but at least this lecture talks about the brick walls. This lecture is pretty inspiring. It woulda been nice to have known the guy.
God spoke to me.
... became known on the Internet a few days after my father died from lung cancer within 4½ months of diagnosis. Watching Pausch's lecture in my state of bereavement was one of the most touching experiences of my life, as it dealt with the same topics I had to deal with at the time, and it did so in a rather different way than we in our family were able to do. As with many things precious to my heart, I find not many people around me I can or even want to try to share them with, but I am happy to read that many people around here feel as strongly about his fate, his lecture and his family as I do.
Tearful,
Great, another meme about the moral superiority of victims.
Having cancer does not make you special. It also doesn't make your views interesting. His "speech" was the same gooey tripe they tell 2nd graders. I wonder when people will stop being inspired so easily.
"According to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, an advocacy organization for the pancreatic cancer community, approximately 37,170 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008 and 33,370 will die from it."
Wow... Is that for real? Let's assume that half of the US occupants are men. so 33k men dying out of roughly 150k men is roughly 22% of the current population.
So in one year, 22% of the current population will die just from pancreatic cancer? not to mention all the other cancers out there, accidental death, old age, etc.. ?
I would re-check their water
I feel like I'm the only one who wasn't super impressed by the lecture. I found it cheesy at times. I'd like to hear from people who did like it exactly why you like it and what was so earth-shattering about what he had to say. Sure, he was a nice guy. But of what he said, was it really that good?
Im afraid I never had a chance to meet Pausch, or someone like him by any chance. Just hope his kids get the picture of the great man his father was.
but you all should really think about what you're saying, cancer doesn't make you a saint. He didn't say anything in that lecture that wasn't said a million times before. That said it's sad to see him go but then, that's life.
"Lux Aeterna" (find it and listen to it, and you'll understand.)
HAND.
We can't make it last, It's incredibly moving, heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time, most people after watching the video and reading the story inevitably experience a powerful emotional response, a moment of purity, of missed opportunities, our hopes, desires, mortality and how wonderful life is every day, every minute, every second, our family, friends.
Its a wonderful feeling, but alas we have to return to the real world, but whose world is this, who has made it the way it is and why does it have to be this way? It's idealistic, naive to think this but why have we reduced our existence to the most banal level of greed and self interest. And without choice we all have to return here and play our parts dutifully.
But what a wonderful story of courage, positivity, basis goodness, humanity and a missed life. Some of the things we take for granted this man struggled to retain, memories for his kids when they grow up, the realization that the little 2 won't remember him, all those missed experiences. A void, a departure, regret.
I don't know about others but I am incredibly touched and I hope that this can change me, reduce my cynicism and give me a better outlook even that little bit.
What is eunt???
HAND.
If s/he who posted the article reeeally cared about spreading Randy's lust for life and his sense of humour, the link labelled "The video" would have Rickrolled me. Slashdot has experienced an Epic Fail(TM).
We stand together,
The mountain and I
Until only the mountain remains
Watching
As Randy moved across the world
With the mountain on his back.
Tonight Randy sleeps
But the mountain will still weep.
"Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here!"
He makes me proud of being a CMU grad. I do regret not taking the Building Virtual Worlds class 10 years ago.
Rest in Peace, Dr. Pausch.
inspiring person, engineer by heart - we do not get much better in the field.
Servant of karma
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
...I can learn to live like you did, Randy. Thank you, you will be missed, remembered, honored and followed.
This sig seemed like a good idea at the time....
Didn't even realize he was living in my town.
Rest in peace.
Late last year I was involved in a motorcycle accident and came very close to death. Over the past six months while recovering I've drawn inspiration from a few different sources however the two primary ones have been Man vs Wild (Bear Grylls broke his back at 21 and joined the SAS two years later) and Randy's book. The way Randy approached his diagnosis and how he has tried to live his life since have been great and continued sources of succour and motivation for me as I continue on the path back to 'normal' life.
I really hoped Randy would beat this thing. Given his outlook I thought he had a good chance.
Rest in peace Randy. May your family and friends think of you fondly and often.
Janie took my gun...
Just two days ago I've uploaded the full transcript of The Last Lecture to Serbian (Russian translation is on the way). The goal is to share The Last Lecture to other parts of the world, bring it closer to the people by translating it and promoting it locally. Please join us with this goal! http://www.forbetterweb.com/ser-randy-pausch.php
Never had the privilege of meeting you, but your last lecture really inspired me. Not cos you were going to die, but for everything you said about how to live.
perl -e 'fork||print for split//,"hahahaha"'
I'll for sure be modded troll. flamebait, but damn it, turn off the sap already!!! Ive watched his video. I cried too. Ive seen and continue to experience worse tragedy. But I dont like the guy.
I dont like his type for the same reason I dont like Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Steve Jobs and sundry other rabblerousers, cheerleaders and assorted polyannas (OK I do like Michio Kaku - he's just about tolerable).
These types serve only to dilute and trivialize tragedy into a kindergarten sing-along! And obscure the negative consequences of their lifestyles and so called inventions.
Gee... look I dreamed of X Y Z when I used to pee in my shorts and now somehow I wormed my way into somehow sort of making em all come true ... Im 45 and Im still so juvenile I wave hi mom on TV.
Yeah sure! I know u snotty kid! Always dreamin of trampling on my lawn ... now get off it!!!
Watched the video...all the way through. The first half goes through the list of stuff he wanted to do before he died...and ticked off what he had managed to do. The last 10 minutes have the summarized advice for life...be earnest...tell the truth...apologize when you screw up, etc. Most of the rest is anecdotal stories underlining his points. It's a good lecture, entertaining, humorous, light-hearted, and well-illustrated. The amazing thing is all of the people who say watching it has changed their life. Perhaps it gives them a sense of optimism and hope that was missing from their life before? Or maybe it is an example for them of someone who faces his impending death with courage and dignity? Yes, it is those things but those are out there, everyday, everywhere, all of the time.
The guy's philosophy on life is absolutely horrible.
I didn't know Professor Pausch, but his last lecture was awesome.
Add me to the long list of lives he has in some way touched.
...I mean the man helped a lot of people take in a review of what they valued...and he did it in one of the most "ALIVE" ways I think I have ever seen. Its hard to convey to people how valuable time and things like dreams are. Unless you have lived with the concern of death hovering near you its hard to really get a view of how you have lived...the costs of some of our choices have been. Mr. Pausch gave that glimpse to millions of people. I hope he is never forgotten and that his teachings are passed on for generations to come.
Joe Investor
Honestly, I found it too annoying to finish watching it. Then I found a transcript and got a bit further but it was also quite bad, alternating between worn out faux-wisdom and tired jokes; I could not finish reading the transcript, either. I hope that I will have the sense to approach my own death more soberly.
I got my family to watch the ABC special on TV tonight. What an amazing and inspirational story!
My wife and I agree that they should make a Hollywood rendition of his life story and that Jim Carrey (from his more dramatic roles like The Truman Show) should play the part of Prof Pausch. There's an amazing resemblance in both their appearance and facial expressions as well as their desire to have fun.
Prof. Pausch, your memory will live on after you. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Excellent "head fakes".