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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.
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.
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4614281
Some days it's just not worth
chewing through my restraints.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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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.
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.
A: You kill him.
...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...
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.
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.
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.
Rest into peace?
Requiescat in pace. Learn your Latin.
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%
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.
This post brought to you by your friendly neighborhood MBA.
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.
Estray inway eacepay.
Obama likes poor people so much, he wants to make more of them.
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.
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.
Death does not have to be a time to be sad. He was given a great gift. He was given time. The reaper's hand was stayed long enough for him to do great things. He was given time to be with his family and to ensure they will know their father even though they may not remember him. He was given time to create something that has touched more people than he could have ever known. As someone who has survived cancer I choose to celebrate his life rather than to mourn his death. When I get home tonight I will raise a glass to Randy Pausch and bid him farewell into the great unknown.
Oh, yay for being a douche. Informative? It doesn't have to be latin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.I.P.
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