The Last Lecture People vary greatly in how they cope with impending death. At the age of 45, Dr. Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, learned that he had pancreatic cancer and was given just a few months to live. Pausch reacted by delivering his now famous “Last Lecture,” written in response to the question, “What would you say if you knew you were going to die?” Titled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, Pausch’s lecture was upbeat, humorous, and inspirational, and has since been viewed by millions online. Pausch died about 10 months after giving his speech, which you can view at http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/

SHNS photo by Pam Panchak/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette