Nils Nilsson, 86, Dies; Scientist Helped Robots Find Their Way

He was part of a Stanford team whose work in artificial intelligence has found its way into smartphones, Siri and other hallmarks of the algorithmic age. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/obituaries/nils-nilssen-dead.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…

Dr. David Hamburg, Leader in Conflict Resolution, Dies at 93

As a behavioral scientist and president of the Carnegie Corporation, he took on policy issues that bring about “hatred and violence and ignorance.” Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/obituaries/dr-david-hamburg-dead.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…

David Thouless, 84, Dies; Nobel Laureate Cast Light on Matter

Using math to explain strange states of matter, like superconductivity, he had a “transformational” impact on physics, with real-world applications. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/obituaries/david-thouless-dead.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…

Geraldyn M. Cobb, Who Found a Glass Ceiling in Space, Dies at 88

She was qualified as any man to be an astronaut and passed all the tests, but NASA wasn’t interested in sending women into space in 1961. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/obituaries/geraldyn-m-cobb-dead.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…

What They Left Behind: Legacies of the Recently Departed

Some gems from the life’s work of people remembered in obituaries in The New York Times. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/obituaries/what-they-left-behind-legacies-of-the-recently-departed.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…

Dr. Richard Green, 82, Dies; Challenged Psychiatry’s View of Homosexuality

At a time when being gay was classified as a mental disorder, Dr. Green defied the advice of his colleagues and took a professional risk by arguing otherwise. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/obituaries/dr-richard-green-dead.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…

Owen Garriott, an Early Scientist-Astronaut, Is Dead at 88

He was the science pilot on the record-breaking 59-day mission to Skylab in 1973. Ten years later, he returned to space on the shuttle Columbia. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/obituaries/owen-garriott-dead.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…

Charles Van Doren, a Quiz Show Whiz Who Wasn’t, Dies at 93

A charismatic and well-pedigreed contestant, he confessed to Congress that his ballyhooed TV performances in the 1950s had been scandalously rigged. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/obituaries/charles-van-doren-dead.html?partner=rss&emc=rss