Randy Pausch is a Professor at Carnegie Mellon university. He’s a pioneer in virtual reality, and one of the creators of ‘The Sims’ among many other accomplishments.
He was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and has about 6 months to live. So, he gave one last lecture at Carnegie Mellon, in front of a very large audience, and it’s just wonderful. In it, he talks not just about virtual reality and computer science, but lessons of life he’s learned, the importance of following your dreams, and in general how to live life to the fullest.
It’s funny. It’s moving. It’s inspirational. It’s fascinating. He’s a great speaker, giving the talk of his life. I highly recommend that everyone watch this.
Here’s a link to the Carnegie-Mellon page where you can watch the streaming video of the lecture: Randy Pausch: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.
If the server is loaded down (the video is becoming very popular), it’s also available on YouTube: Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture Part 1. The other parts are also there.