My friend Jeff Medkeff died on August 3rd. There are a few posts here about him, but Jeff’s final request was that a blog post be written on his cancer blog, Yucatangee Eventually Shuts Up.
I know most of you don’t know him, but reading that entry you might get a glimpse of the strength of will and of mind he had. He was an extraordinary example of humanity, of scientists, and of skeptics. I am very proud of him for saying this, upon visiting Charles Darwin’s home in England, not long before the end:
Darwin is huge, personally and scientifically. It is remarkeable to think that his theory predicted genetic mechanisms of inheritance. But the cultural impact was also large. On a personal level, Darwin makes it possible to view my disease not as the result of the actions of some despicable god, but rather as a predictable and impersonal consequence of the way my species came into being. The universe, along with its “creator” or universal personality, or whatever, is not out to get me. The universe isn’t capable of being out to get me or anyone else – it hasn’t got the necessary attributes to do so. This is an impersonal problem.
This, while facing an imminent death and being fully aware of it.
Would that we all had the strength of Jeff’s conviction. The world is a little bit worse off without him.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Not to dis a deceased individual (may he RIP), but I think very few religions will attribute human illness and death as “the actions of some despicable god”.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Such an insight in reality. This lives on.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
‘‘Every heart that has beat strong and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world, and bettered the tradition of mankind.’’ – Robert Louis Stevenson
August 19th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Jeff was good troop. I first ran across him when I was at CU and he contributed some work and advice when I was at Sky & Telescope later on. He WILL be missed!
August 19th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I’m a fairly staunch atheist, but I still have trouble understanding why someone would glorify or celebrate the utter meaningless and indifference of the universe. Seems like nihlism.
“This is an impersonal problem”
It is impossible to separate what you perceive as reality from your own consciousness. The two have never actually been separated. Not ever. That makes reality a very, very personal thing.
August 19th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
BA Wrote:
“Would that we all had the strength of Jeff’s conviction. The world is a little bit worse off without him.”
That may be true, but I prefer to think of the world as being better for the contributions BCS made.
August 19th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Not to dis a deceased individual (may he RIP), but I think very few religions will attribute human illness and death as “the actions of some despicable god”.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard Xians try to quantify the death of someone by saying something to the effect of, “It was just God’s will that he go,” or “God decided it was time she go up to heaven.”
A god allowing a child to die in a car accident or a parent to suffer a fatal aneurysm a gentle man to gruesomely succumb to cancer or (insert any surprise cause of death here) all because it’s “His will” seems pretty despicable to me.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Jeff Wrote:
“I’m a fairly staunch atheist, but I still have trouble understanding why someone would glorify or celebrate the utter meaningless and indifference of the universe. Seems like nihlism.”
With all due respect Jeff, I don’t think anyone, including Jeff Medkeff, is or was celebrating what you called “the utter meaningless and indifference of the universe”. True, nihilists do say “there is no intrinsic meaning to life”.
I think it is incorrect to interpret his remarks as such.
I read “His last Request” in its entirety the day it was posted. Though I DO NOT speak for him, based on what I have read, including his last published comments, I believe he chose to make his life have meaning.
I am not ranting against your remarks, there is no malice. I’m just pointing out that I think Jeff probably would have disagreed with you. My guess is that he would have said that it is up to us to find meaning, if we choose. Sounds like he found great comfort in choosing that over belief in some fairy tale.
I, like Phil, hope that I can face my death with the same conviction and strength of character that Jeff did – knowing that what causes our ultimate end is not personal, but is just the way it is.
August 19th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
I really hope that I don’t offend any of you here but I’m going to include Jeff in my prayers tonight (just something I do every night before I go to sleep with my wife). I read this blog because I love science, but I realize that science and religion are sometimes mashed together in bad ways.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
A small amount of matter in the solar system came together.
It was called “Jeff”. He made a difference and influenced others,
Then returned to the basic matter that will again help form new worlds.
August 20th, 2008 at 6:35 am
Ty Said:
I really hope that I don’t offend any of you here but I’m going to include Jeff in my prayers tonight (just something I do every night before I go to sleep with my wife). I read this blog because I love science, but I realize that science and religion are sometimes mashed together in bad ways.
Well written. As a person of faith and a lover of science, I too will pray. It’s too bad so many here have “mashed science and religion together” by basically making science their religion, and then are unwilling to be tolerant of those with different world views. Then again, this kind of intolerance is a known feature of postmodern philosophy. You can read up on it in any good, college level philosophy course textbook.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Damon B, in the Christian mindset, being in Heaven is better than being on Earth. If suicide weren’t a sin, “true believer” Christians (rather than belief-in-belief Christians, to borrow Dennett terminology) would not exist.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Ok, here is my take on this issue. Science is models based on evidence. Religion is belief based on faith in spite of the lack of evidence. Science is not religion and religion is not science. The problem is when either religion or science claims to be the other.
For me, I am ok with anyone who has no dealings with religion. I understand why someone would do that – because there is no evidence. I, for one, am not pleased with the idea that you die and then that is it. I choose to believe that there is more. Even if I am wrong, it makes me feel better.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:26 am
@ Greg, suicide is not a sin, at least not for Catholics, Lutherins, etc. as the Vatican etc. have recognized the inherant mental illnesses associated with suicides.
As for mashing religion and science together, being “benignly” religious can be seen as a slippery slope into the very dangerous religiousity that turns people into extremists. I can see Phil’s point of “no tolerance” for religious thoughts because he too often sees the bottom of the slope. And I’m saying this as a spiritual person myself.