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"Last Lecture" CMU Professor Randy Pausch Dies

Posted by kdawson on from the imagineering-on-the-other-side dept.

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.

16 of 208 comments (clear)

  1. Worth the time by phasm42 · · Score: 5, Informative

    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
    1. Re:Worth the time by dustice · · Score: 5, Informative

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

  2. Godspeed by D+Ninja · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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...

  3. Prosper. by PunditGuy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Prosper. by Xenophon+Fenderson, · · Score: 5, Interesting

      However, many people seem not to like hugging. I think that people "simply" have a subconscious fear of fully giving and fully accepting love.

      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).

      --
      I'm proud of my Northern Tibetian Heritage
  4. Transcription of "Last Lecture" by D+Ninja · · Score: 5, Informative

    Follow the link for the transcription of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture.

  5. More than The Last Lecture by travisbean · · Score: 5, Informative

    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!

  6. Re:If only... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.)

  7. Re:A sad day for everyone that watched his speech by dasunst3r · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  8. Official CMU release by Rufus211 · · Score: 5, Informative

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

  9. Re:Tearful by peterprior · · 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.

  10. Re:RIP by Anonymous Coward · · 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.

  11. Re:If only... by ndansmith · · Score: 5, Insightful

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

    No! Don't waste good men on politics!

  12. Re:If only... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

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

    .. then we would vote against them, in favor of someone who has a better marketing department. Like we always do.

  13. Fortunate to have him as a professor by whipping_post · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  14. Re:Still not sure... by DeskLazer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't know if you've ever talked to the guy, but he's probably one of the most positive people I've ever met. he goes far beyond what his lecture and book have. he's the guy who would find the good in everything, as cliched as that sounds. I kept up on his personal blog, which talked about his health as he dealt with the cancer. this guy was RUNNING and doing exercise and being outside and feeling alive while having cancer. he said it best, "I may have a lot of my stamina [from chemo], but I can probably run a quarter mile faster than most Americans." and what he did for pancreatic cancer research is huge. RIP Randy, we'll miss you.