This is sad news. Greg Cahill, an old acquaintance who had been a fellow graduate student with me at the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, has died suddenly. I did not know him well, but I remember him as a fine fellow among my small cohort of fellow students, and it’s sad to hear of this unfortunate loss.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
No one should have to die.
I’m sorry about what happened. 50 is too young in this day and age. I don’t know his religious views but since according to Richard Dawkins biologists are more likely to be Atheists, or at least not very religious, but the first comment surprised me.
My condolences, PZ, to you and his family and friends. It’s creepy when young people die, and I’m now at an age when 50 qualifies.
So sorry PZ. It’s always hard to loose school mates.
It’s sobering when someone younger than yourself (and me) dies.
He died in the airport while waiting for his flight. Poor guy!
He’ll be greatly missed.
I’m sorry to hear that an old friend and colleague of yours has died at such a comparatively young age. It sounds like he did interesting work – biological clock rhythms in zebra fish: Coturnix meets PZ. I hope that someone will carry on his research. Sorry for your loss.
What a loss for our field. The UO Institute of Neuroscience will surely be a somber place as news of his death travels. Thanks for letting us know, PZ.
And shit, yeah, 50 is shockingly young. So sad.
Sorry for your loss, PZ. Sounds like the University of Houston lost a great man whose successor will have some mighty big shoes to fill.
Too young to go, especially when the world needs people like him.
I’m sometimes surprised that airport mortality rates aren’t higher.
#11 has it right. We need people like him. So sad he went too soon.
Sorry to hear of the loss. Someone that I knew died a couple of weeks back. She was driving to work and lost control of her car because of the ice, and then hit a van head on. Her mom and noticed the accident. Sadly, her mom was unable to go with her to the hospital (because they flew her via helicopter)where she died of head injuries 24 hours later. She was only 34 years old.
I didnt know the man,but its terribly tragic when someone is taken so suddenly from his friends and family,and it happens much too often.
Just yesterday a shark took a man off a western australian beach,while the son was watching from the shore.
I see someone die from sudden cardiac death at least once a week,and those guys are in their 30s and 40s sometimes(i.e.my age)now,and it creeps me out to know that anytime,anywhere,I could be next.
All part of the human condition,but still tragic,and a shock when it happens.
I remember reading about Greg’s work sometime back.
I distinctly recall thinking how lucky we are to have such clever people who think to look in places most of us don’t know even exist.
And then they find a way to apply what they have seen to the broader scope of human knowledge and well being.
The idea that some small inquiry into reality by one person producing wide and unexpected value has always just knocked me out. How wonderful, how welcome, how . . . fitting, somehow. How human.
And I see that his roots were in Minnesota, where he would have been right now.
Courage.
I have been checking back in from time to time to read the various comments lamenting the loss of a great mind, and a contributor to scientific discovery. Then I read the comment in the Houston paper under the announcement of Greg’s death, and sure enough, some loathsome vulture calling him(?)self ‘dukenukem40’ writes:
I find it horrifying to contemplate the number of people in the world, in the US alone, who are doing little more than twiddling their thumbs and counting the minutes until death–and their ticket to paradise.
I agree with Danio. That comment disgusted me. I wish it could be removed, but alas.
Some theobots will always be there to spit on the loss of a good man with their fairy tales negating the enjoyment of life on earth as we know it.
He was a credit to U of H.
Although I didn’t know him well, I did take a class of his while in graduate school at UH. He will be missed as a researcher, teacher, and most importantly a good human being.
Death is part of that package deal to which no one agrees–we are thrust headlong down the road of life, and are moving even before we know what it entails. It is a tragedy for anyone so valuable to so many, to go suddenly and young. It jolts us into re-realizing our own mortality and fragility.
But it also makes us think about all the work that we have left to complete, against the ticking clock of our eventual demise. And we take motivation from this, to press on for each day of our remaining time. Because you never know.
Very sorry to hear about your loss, PZ.
I did my PhD at the University of Houston and knew Dr. Cahill. He will be greatly missed.
It sounds like he did interesting work biological clock rhythms in zebra fish.