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The Man Who Turned Life Into Magic : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR

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Oliver Sacks in 2007.

Adam Scourfield/ASSOCIATED PRESS

IwasshockedandsaddenedtoreadOliverSacks'NewYorkTimesopedlast
Thursdaywherehetoldofhisterminallivercancer.AsofWednesdayevening,there
were808commentsfromreaders,alldeeplytouchedbyOliver'shumanity.He
deservesnoless.
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The Man Who Turned Life Into Magic : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR

Throughhiswritingsandlectures,Oliverilluminatesasnootherthedarkerside
ofthemind,theoftenstrangeneurologicalpathologiesthatafflictsomanyinso
manydifferentways,renderingthemunabletofunctionliketherestofus.Theseare
peopleimprisonedwithintheirownselves,theirhumanitychoked,beggingtobe
recognized.Peoplewhoseconditionsaresooddandrarethatothermedical
professionalswouldnotknowwhattodo.
"Thetruthisthatmostpracticingphysicianshave,apartfromtheirbroadmedical
training,littleindepthknowledgeofmanyconditions,especiallythosewhichare
consideredrare,andthusnotworthyofmuchtimeinmedicalschool,"Oliverwrotein
TheMind'sEye.Themorereason,hewouldargue,tolistentotheirstories,takethem
down,andusethemastheirpathtohealingor,atleast,toapathtowardawarenessof
theirconditionandhenceempathyandrespect.
Weareastory,eachofus.Andastorywithnolisteneristhesameassilence,as
oblivion.Somestoriesarehardertolistento,orcan'tbelistenedtoinordinaryways,
and,so,takeaveryspecialkindoflistener.WeareblessedtohaveOliverasalistener,
atoncescribeandbardofthehumancondition.
OliverSacksisararesoulreaderamongus,agoldenheartthatbeatsinresonance
withanenlightenedintellectandarefinementoffeelingthatfindsthehumanity
cloisteredinthedeepestrecessesofadamagedlife.Thestorieshetellsarethestories
ofhispatients,butalsohisown;heknowsandtellsus,beautifully,howeach
experiencetouchesandtransformshisown,howeachtalehenarratesbecomespart
ofhisownnarrative,hisownlifestory.Inthis,andinwritingssuchasUncle
TungstenorAlteredStates,hisNewYorkeressayonhallucinatorydrugs,welearn
thattoOliverlifeisagrandexperimentofthehumancondition,anexperimentthat
canonlybearfruitifwehavethecouragetoengagefullywithit.Oliveristhebravest
manIknow.
ImetOliverinthelate1990sinSoPaulo,atthehomeofourtheneditorLuiz
Schwarcz.HewasimmediatelycuriousaboutthisBraziliantheoreticalphysicistwho
livedintheU.S.andwonderedabouttheoriginoftheuniverse,whilealsowritingfor
thegeneralpublicaboutscience,philosophyandreligion.Beingarareexampleofa
scientisthumanist,hetookmeunderhiswingasanequal,deeplyhonoringmewith
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hishumility."PleasecomevisitmeinNewYork,"heinvited.AndsoIdid.Sincethen,
wehavemaintainedasteady,ifnotdense,correspondencetheoldway."Idon'tdo
email,"hetoldme.So,I'dgettheserareenvelopesfromthegreatman,fullof
encouragementandpraise,alwaysaffectionatelysigned,"BestWishes,Ollie."
I'dstepintohisplaceatHoratioStreetasifintoatemple.Bookseverywhere,pilesof
papersscatteredabout,andtherewasOliverwithhisslipperson,sparksinhiseyes,
hardlyabletocontainhisexcitementatthesimplepleasureofconversingabout
fundamentalquestionsofphysics,theuniverse,life,themind,andhisprojectsand
latestideas.Inhisoped,hewritesofhimself:"Iamamanofvehementdisposition,
withviolententhusiasm,andextremeimmoderationinallpassions."
Wearealldeeplygratefulforyourimmoderatepassions,forthehonorofsharing
time"onthisbeautifulplanet"withsuchahumanasyourself.It"hasbeenan
enormousprivilegeandadventure."Whatyouhavecreatedwillremain,touchingthe
livesofmanygenerationstocome,illuminatingtheirliveswithyourwisdomand
humanity.
(OurownAlvaNewroteatributetoOliverhereat13.7ontheoccasionofhis80th
birthday.)

MarceloGleiserisatheoreticalphysicistandcosmologistandprofessorof
naturalphilosophy,physicsandastronomyatDartmouthCollege.Heistheco
founderof13.7,aprolificauthorofpapersandessays,andactivepromoterof
sciencetothegeneralpublic.HislatestbookisTheIslandofKnowledge:TheLimits
ofScienceandtheSearchforMeaning.YoucankeepupwithMarceloonFacebook
andTwitter:@mgleiser.

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