Oliver Sacks, one of the most renowned scientists in the field of brain research, has revealed that he has terminal cancer and only a few months left to live.
In a touching op-ed in the New York Times, the British-born physician, NYU professor and bestselling author, who has often explored the power of music on the brain, wrote about his response to the diagnosis, and about how he's seeing his life as it comes to an end.
"I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for anything inessential. I must focus on myself, my work and my friends. I shall no longer look at 'NewsHour' every night. I shall no longer pay any attention to politics or arguments about global warming," wrote Sacks, who has written numerous books including Awakenings, which became an Oscar-winning film, and Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, which became a PBS and Nova series. Sacks' work also provided the foundation for the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, where he is an honourary medical advisor.
"This is not indifference but detachment — I still care deeply about the Middle East, about global warming, about growing inequality, but these are no longer my business; they belong to the future. I rejoice when I meet gifted young people — even the one who biopsied and diagnosed my metastases. I feel the future is in good hands."
Last year, CBC Music published an article about how music is helping to unlock the minds of people with Alzheimer's Disease, and Sacks appears in the first video, speaking about the dramatic effects of the music on patients. You can find that video here.
Related:
The memory key: how music is unlocking the minds of people with Alzheimer's
Music therapy: something for everyone, funded by (almost) no one
Want to feel powerful? Science says turn up the bass
Listen Up: New Study Says Students’ iPods Are Too Loud
Astronaut Julie Payette on space, science and choral music
'Is Somebody Singing': Ed Robertson on the art of science and math
by Jennifer Van Evra via Electronic RSS
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