When du Bois-Reymond proclaimed the mystery of consciousness, he crushed the last ambition of reason. As a descendant of immigrants, du Bois-Reymond always felt a bit at odds with his surroundings. James never mentioned his debt to du Bois-Reymond, perhaps because he quit his class, or perhaps because so many of his early lectures drew from du Bois-Reymond's writings. After all, it's not just du Bois-Reymond who has been forgotten — pretty much every German scientist of the 19th century has been forgotten as well.To my mind du Bois-Reymond provided the best explanation for his oblivion. The same holds true for du Bois-Reymond: He is hidden in plain sight.Du Bois-Reymond reminds us that individuals mark their times as much as their times mark them.