The unfortunately named Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation, has died.

The 47 year old boffin was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007 garnered international attention and was viewed by millions on the Internet.

He later dictated a best-selling book on his mobile phone to a ghost writer called "The Last Lecture," which made it to the top of the the nonfiction best-seller lists.

The last lecture emphasised the importance of having fun. "We don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully," he said.

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