👓 Geneticist Sydney Brenner, who made tiny worm a scientific legend, dies | Nature

Read Geneticist Sydney Brenner, who made tiny worm a scientific legend, dies by Holly Else
Nobel-prizewinning biologist pioneered use of C. elegans as an animal model.

👓 Luke Perry, ‘90210’ and ‘Riverdale’ Star, Dies at 52 | Variety

Read Luke Perry, ‘90210’ and ‘Riverdale’ Star, Dies at 52 (Variety)
Actor Luke Perry, known for roles in “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Riverdale,” died on Monday after suffering a massive stroke on Wednesday. He was 52. “[Perry] was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends,” his rep said in a statement. “The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time.”

👓 Dr. Hubert Yockey of Bel Air, Director of APG Reactor; Manhattan Project Nuclear Physicist, Dies at 99 | The Dagger

Read Dr. Hubert Yockey of Bel Air, Director of APG Reactor; Manhattan Project Nuclear Physicist, Dies at 99 (The Dagger - Local News with an Edge)
Hubert Palmer Yockey, 99, died peacefully under hospice care at his home in Bel Air, MD, on January 31, 2016, with his daughter, Cynthia Yockey, at his side. Born in Alexandria, Minnesota, he was t…

👓 Elias M. Stein, Mathematician of Fluctuations, Is Dead at 87 | New York Times

Read Elias M. Stein, Mathematician of Fluctuations, Is Dead at 87 (New York Times)
Arriving from Europe with diamonds in his shoes (hidden there), he found renown in his field with real-world applications, like charting a stock market.
How many references to “Diamonds hidden in the soles of shoes” can there be? Suppose this story may have somehow influenced Paul Simon?

A nice overview of some of Stein’s work.

🎧 How Quickly We Forget | On the Media | WNYC Studios

Listened to How Quickly We Forget from On the Media | WNYC Studios

Presidential eulogizing, special counsel speculation, immigration coverage, and forgotten Hanukkah history. 

The death of George H.W. Bush brought us a week’s worth of ceremony, eulogy and wall-to-wall coverage. This week, a look at the choices journalists made when they set out to memorialize the president. And, immigration stories in our media focus on the U.S.–Mexico border — but what about immigration elsewhere in Latin America? Is there a journalistic solution to the scale of global immigration? Plus, a baseball metaphor and a bit of forgotten Hanukkah history.

1. Anne Helen Petersen [@annehelen], senior culture writer at Buzzfeed, and David Greenberg [@republicofspin], historian at Rutgers University, on the history — and pitfalls — of presidential eulogies. Listen.

2. Bob on the speculation surrounding Robert Mueller's investigation. Listen.

3. Diego Salazar [@disalch], journalist, on the immigration crisis within Latin America.  Listen.

4. Masha Gessen [@mashagessen], staff writer at The New Yorker, on her modest proposal for immigration coverage. Listen.

5. Rabbi James Ponet, Jewish chaplain emeritus at Yale University, on the historical origins of Hanukkah. Listen.

The ideas of rosier pictures of past presidents is an interesting one.

Masha Gessen’s story makes me wish we had many more Masha Gessens.

I particularly liked the story and history of Hanukkah given here. Definitely something to think about.

👓 Michael Atiyah, Mathematician in Newton’s Footsteps, Dies at 89 | New York Times

Read Michael Atiyah, Mathematician in Newton’s Footsteps, Dies at 89 (New York Times)
One of the 20th century’s leading mathematical theorists, he revealed a connection between math and physics not seen since the 17th century.

👓 A tribute to former President of the Royal Society Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS (1929 – 2019) | Royal Society

Read A tribute to former President of the Royal Society Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS (1929 - 2019) (Royal Society)
Sir Michael Atiyah OM HonFREng FRS has passed away aged 89. First elected in 1962, he was President of the Royal Society 1990-1995.

🎧 “The Daily”: The Legacy of George Bush | New York Times

Listened to "The Daily": The Legacy of George Bush by Michael Barbaro from New York Times

The 41st president took the helm during a moment of seismic change on the international stage and in the political order at home.

Where have all the good public servants gone?

👓 Professor Emeritus David Henderson dies in accident | Cornell Chronicle

Read Professor Emeritus David Henderson dies in accident (Cornell Chronicle)
Professor Emeritus David Wilson Henderson, whose commitment to mathematics education stretched into retirement, died Dec. 20 in Delaware, at age 79.

👓 Penny Marshall dead at 75, best known as TV’s Laverne and director of ‘Big,’ ‘A League of Their Own’ | NY Daily News

Read Penny Marshall dead at 75, best known as TV's Laverne and director of 'Big,' 'A League of Their Own' (NY Daily News)
Bronx-born Penny Marshall, who found ‘70s sitcom success on “Laverne and Shirley” before stepping behind the camera for Hollywood hits like “Big” and “A League of Their Own,” died Monday night at her California home. She was 75.
Sorry to hear about her passing. Her films Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Big, and Awakenings are some of my favorite movies and had a tremendous influence on me.

👓 George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States, dies at 94 | The Washington Post

Read George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States, dies at 94 by Karen TumultyKaren Tumulty (The Washington Post)
George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and the father of the 43rd, was a steadfast force on the international stage for decades, from his stint as an envoy to Beijing to his eight years as vice president and his one term as commander in chief from 1989 to 1993.

Highlights, Quotes, Annotations, & Marginalia

He negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, a measure that was ratified by the Senate in President Bill Clinton’s first term.  

Interesting that he dies on the same day that Trump declares victory over the death of NAFTA.
November 30, 2018 at 11:42PM

He lost to New York billionaire Donald Trump,  

Is he really a “billionaire”?! I thought the Times’ own reporting had refuted this pretty soundly?
December 01, 2018 at 12:14AM

👓 Ricky Jay, Magician and 'Boogie Nights' Actor, Dies at 72 | New York Times

Read Ricky Jay, Magician and 'Boogie Nights' Actor, Dies at 72 (The Hollywood Reporter)
In addition to his long career as a magician, he also appeared in such films as 'Magnolia' (1999) as the narrator, 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997) as a cyber terrorist and 'Boogie Nights' (1997).
I had friends who represented Rick Jay when I was at CAA. I later had the privilege of working with him as a consultant on Heartbreakers, when he had me out to the Magic Castle several times as a guest.

I don’t think there’s anyone living or dead who had a better collection or mastery of magic and related arts than Ricky Jay did. I hope his legacy and library is well supported.

👓 William Goldman Dies; Oscar Winning Writer Of ‘Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid’ Was 87 | Deadline

Read William Goldman Dies; Oscar Winning Writer Of ‘Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid’ Was 87 by Mike Fleming Jr. (Deadline)
I have been informed by friends of the family that William Goldman died last night. He was 87. Goldman, who twice won screenwriting Oscars for All The President’s Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, passed away last night in his Manhattan home, surrounded by family and friends. His health had been failing for some time, and over the summer his condition deteriorated.

👓 Stan Lee: Spider-Man, X-Men and Avengers creator dies aged 95 | the Guardian

Read Stan Lee: Spider-Man, X-Men and Avengers creator dies aged 95 by Richard Lea (the Guardian)
Almost as famous as his Marvel superheroes, Lee was known for bringing complex emotional life to cartoon characters