Just read somewhere that one of the guys who died in the massacre was Professor Kevin P. Granata. He was 46 years old, received his Ph.D in 1993, when he was 32 years old.

I think it's shocking, the guy obviously worked all his life extremely hard to get where he was. He probably didn't have a private life like so many academics. Then, some arsehole walks into the lecture hall and shoots him in the forehead and that's it.

We really live in a crazy world. Makes me ask myself if we are not wasting valuable life time doing the things we are doing in this "great" world called "academia". I'm not so sure.

Here is the link of the faculty information:

http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/person.php?id=10012

I think the whole worldwide academic community is grieving for those guys. It's so depressing isn't it.

whatever any victims' achievements/ambitions - it is/would be a tragic waste. what we choose to spend our limited time on is not a 'waste'.

don't ever think that.

I'm not saying some people life's are more valuable than other's. That's definitely not the case, it doesn't matter if someone is a construction worker or a rocket scientist, every life is invaluable. Was just trying to put myself in the position of this Professor who spent so many hours accumulating his 67 publications and academic merits. Maybe he thought that this was his mission, do to research etc.

Unfortunately, I cannot identify with such a position.

Nobody deserves to die like that, so let's just hope something horrible like this will never happen again. And all the other massacres which happen every day in the world will stop soon. Sometimes I really wonder why humanity is so stupid. People kill each other every day for ridiculuous reasons.

You just did

?

did what?

the sleepless enigma...

Otto, I got your point.
I will add that it is always worth and healthy to ask yourself whether or not you are wasting your precious life, as it is short and fragile. How could anybody correct his/her path if not by asking questions and doing deep reflections and analysis? Isn' it the way of any researcher, to wonder, to be impressed by events and to try to draw conclusions?
We must always have critical thinking and never stop asking questions even if such questions made us uncomfortable.! And to dare to think the unthinkable....

Having fulfilled a meaningless role in management consultancy for a number of years producing reports no one will ever read, that I have no pride in and no sense of achievement, I gave it all up because I wanted to achieve something in life.

A PhD was something I thought I'd never get a chance at, but I worked my socks off and earned my studentship. Doing what I do in academia, I very much get a sense that I'm self-actualising and trying to reach my potential. I certainly wouldn't go back to what I was doing, no regrets whatsoever.

Mu heartful condolences to all the those involved in the events in the US.

Well it sounds like the guy who did it had lost the plot totally. Why is it so easy to get hold of a gun in the US?

It's just awful.

Otto: "Unfortunately, I cannot identify with such a position."

I meant that although you may not be as accomplished yourself (yet), you 'just have' identified through your sensitivity and empathy (which, btw, i have noticed over time that you have in abundance).

That was all.

if i had 67 publications, i actually wouldn't mind going - i would have lived to achieve what i consider my destiny. what would annoy me is dieing at the age of 46 and dying in a way that you've got no time to say a last word to those you love. at least if you're ill, you know its coming so you've got time, when you're shot, you don't even have time to say goodbye to those you love. i think that is very sad. At that age, life has just began - potentially 24 more years of good health etc. but the good thing is that when you're dead, there isn't a chance that you'll be angry. you'll have moved on. the sadness is left with those who are left.