# Oliver Sacks has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403 "2015-08-30T16:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/1 "2015-08-30T16:34:39Z")
> **[Oliver Sacks dies in New York aged 82](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34102119)** > > British neurologist and acclaimed author Oliver Sacks dies at the age of 82. 82 so he didn’t do too badly. I went to a lecture he gave in London about 20 years ago and he totally blew me away. One of the good guys. Awakenings will be a hard movie to watch now knowing that the actor and the person he plays are both gone. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/2 "2015-08-30T17:22:57Z")
I saw it, too. Goodbye, Oliver. _The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat_ was required reading in the first biological psychology class I took, which spawed both a major (neuroscience) and a minor (psychology) for me. I still have fond memories of a couple rainy Saturday mornings spent in the cozy psychology library, reading Sacks’ master’s thesis, which was on migraine headaches. A friendly voice is gone from the world. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/3 "2015-08-30T18:04:14Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I saw it, too. Goodbye, Oliver. > > _The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat_ was required reading in the first biological psychology class I took, which spawed both a major (neuroscience) and a minor (psychology) for me. I still have fond memories of a couple rainy Saturday mornings spent in the cozy psychology library, reading Sacks’ master’s thesis, which was on migraine headaches. A friendly voice is gone from the world. I had to read that for freshman comp in college. It was refreshing to read a well-written non-fiction book that focused on the humanity of people suffering from inconceivable diseases, not the science. I’ve also enjoyed hearing him on _Radiolab_. He will be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/4 "2015-08-30T19:03:35Z")
I just saw this on the AP. Total bummer. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/5 "2015-08-30T19:39:39Z")
I too used to hear him on RadioLab on NPR. He seemed to me to be, not just brilliant, but also an extraordinarily human and humane man. And proof that not everyone who does nutso and irresponsible stuff in their youth comes to a bad end. I am glad for his many books and interviews, which mean that he isn’t lost to me entirely. Still, I am sorry to see him go. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/6 "2015-08-30T21:36:13Z")
Wonderful man and amazing writer. He will be much missed. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/7 "2015-08-30T21:41:56Z")
A real loss, if not an unexpected one. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/8 "2015-08-30T21:46:54Z")
A brilliant and great man. I have his autobiography on reserve at the library. I liked “Uncle Tungsten”, which was also autobiographical, and look forward to reading this one too. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-sacks-has-died/729403/9 "2015-08-31T21:27:11Z")
Awakenings was my favorite movie for ten years. Great movie about a great man, he’ll be missed.