Oliver Sacks died yesterday, Sunday August 30, 2015. He was 82. I hope he was ready for death, or at least as ready as any living creature can be. I suspect he was, and if there is any enduring consciousness after death, I suspect that Dr. Sacks is busily investigating it right now, trying to figure out how it works, who and what he is, and whether or not any of it is actually real. Who knows, maybe he's having tea with Lewis Carroll and Martin Gardner right now.
I first became aware of Oliver Sacks through my all-time favorite podcast Radiolab. Dr. Sacks was a regular guest on the show, and several of my favorite Radiolab segments feature the good doctor. I’ve not yet read any of his books, though I intend to read at least a few of them. The man was warm, curious, thoughtful, kind, funny, sharp, and a bit tragic. I expect I am not alone in expressing that I would have liked to know the man personally. I am certain that he will be missed.
