Passing On Your Lessons in a Metaphorical Message in a Bottle

Randy Pausch was an accomplished academic who taught computer science at both the University of Virginia and Carnegie Melon University. He became known across the country after giving a heart-wrenching “last lecture” to students at Carnegie Melon making him a Lou-Gehrig-like symbol of the beauty and briefness of life, according to the New York Times. Professors at Carnegie Melon are sometimes asked to give lectures on what wisdom they would impart if they knew it was their last chance. Hence, the title, “last lecture.” Dr. Pausch accepted that challenge after learning he had only a few months left to live. Dr. Paush’s...