List of numbers
N°49
Variances 49
01 February 2014
Editorial
From Aristotle to Pascal, from Humboldt to Yersin, how can we fail to be amazed
the ability of the great scientists, philosophers, artists and discoverers who, from
from Antiquity to Modern Times, to build bridges between their considerable knowledge
between their considerable accumulated knowledge in a wide variety of fields:
astronomy, biology, engineering, music, drawing... In our age of dizzying acceleration
of technical innovation and hyperspecialization of knowledge, is such an eclecticism
eclecticism still possible?
Without settling this debate, this issue of Variances illustrates the importance of crossing disciplines, not only for a richer personal life, but also for innovation.
Our special report on regulation highlights an exciting field of application
application of our School's teachings. At
At the crossroads of microeconomics, statistics, industrial or banking analysis, the definition and implementation of efficient regulation also rely on solid legal expertise and an ability to find compromises, to better supervise the operation of economic sectors or the exploitation of natural resources.
The importance of a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary vision is also underlined by Sophie Buffeteau, in her article on gender inequality in the workplace, and by Philippe Tassi, in his article on the symbolism of numbers. The former shows that, in order to correct gender discrimination, it is necessary to be able to measure it correctly, and that the identification of behavioral differences between the sexes must be based on various disciplines, such as psychology. As for the second, an eminent alumnus whom many of us met at the School, he insists on the indispensable contribution to statistical analysis of historical, sociological and psychological approaches, inspired by neuroscience or signal processing.
Young graduates have learned this lesson well, and the two teams that won the
of the best workgroup prize are proposing an application of the fuzzy logic
used in industrial automation to the field of insurance, and from the laws of gravitation to the analysis of international trade.
At the graduation ceremony we are reporting on, Martine Durand, sponsor of the
of the class of 2013, reminded the new alumni of the importance of an openness
opening up to the world and to other disciplines and knowledge. Her words are echoed in the atypical career of our Headliner, Sebastião Salgado. Trained in economics, notably at ENSAE, he has devoted his life to photography, but his analysis
of our time - development, poverty,
preservation of the environment -, permeates his art and guides his objective.
Our School's training often leads us to rational approaches to problems
and a strong command of quantitative techniques. Let's be careful, however, not to get bogged down in excessive specialization, losing sight of the contribution of improbable cross-fertilizations, and not to forget that art lifts the soul...
Eric Tazé-Bernard (1978)
Editor in chief
the ability of the great scientists, philosophers, artists and discoverers who, from
from Antiquity to Modern Times, to build bridges between their considerable knowledge
between their considerable accumulated knowledge in a wide variety of fields:
astronomy, biology, engineering, music, drawing... In our age of dizzying acceleration
of technical innovation and hyperspecialization of knowledge, is such an eclecticism
eclecticism still possible?
Without settling this debate, this issue of Variances illustrates the importance of crossing disciplines, not only for a richer personal life, but also for innovation.
Our special report on regulation highlights an exciting field of application
application of our School's teachings. At
At the crossroads of microeconomics, statistics, industrial or banking analysis, the definition and implementation of efficient regulation also rely on solid legal expertise and an ability to find compromises, to better supervise the operation of economic sectors or the exploitation of natural resources.
The importance of a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary vision is also underlined by Sophie Buffeteau, in her article on gender inequality in the workplace, and by Philippe Tassi, in his article on the symbolism of numbers. The former shows that, in order to correct gender discrimination, it is necessary to be able to measure it correctly, and that the identification of behavioral differences between the sexes must be based on various disciplines, such as psychology. As for the second, an eminent alumnus whom many of us met at the School, he insists on the indispensable contribution to statistical analysis of historical, sociological and psychological approaches, inspired by neuroscience or signal processing.
Young graduates have learned this lesson well, and the two teams that won the
of the best workgroup prize are proposing an application of the fuzzy logic
used in industrial automation to the field of insurance, and from the laws of gravitation to the analysis of international trade.
At the graduation ceremony we are reporting on, Martine Durand, sponsor of the
of the class of 2013, reminded the new alumni of the importance of an openness
opening up to the world and to other disciplines and knowledge. Her words are echoed in the atypical career of our Headliner, Sebastião Salgado. Trained in economics, notably at ENSAE, he has devoted his life to photography, but his analysis
of our time - development, poverty,
preservation of the environment -, permeates his art and guides his objective.
Our School's training often leads us to rational approaches to problems
and a strong command of quantitative techniques. Let's be careful, however, not to get bogged down in excessive specialization, losing sight of the contribution of improbable cross-fertilizations, and not to forget that art lifts the soul...
Eric Tazé-Bernard (1978)
Editor in chief
