Oliver Sacks at Columbia University in New York City in 2009. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Oliver Sacks is a neurologist and the author of Awakenings, which was made into a movie starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. His essay on the last months of his life and how science has been, at times, a source of comfort is poignant, wistful, and yet still somehow uplifting. I highly recommend that you give it a read.