A recording of this invited speaker webinar, held 14 April 2021, 17:00 – 18:30 (CET) // 11:00 – 12:30 (EST), is made available at the end of this post.
This coming April 14th, 2021, Erik Reinert and Andrea Saltelli join the discussion to offer insights on how the Cartesian and Ricardian dreams have contributed to the modern crisis in science and economics.
Erik Reinert is a guru of heterodox economics, who, early in his academic life, validated his expertise by becoming a successful entrepreneur. His best-known book: How Rich Countries Got Rich … and Why Poor Countries Stay Poor. Erik sets the stage:
Until around 1900 most US economists got their education in Germany, and until after WW II knowledge of German was a requirement to become an economist in the US. During the 1950s the language requirement was changed from German to mathematics. What has this done to the way we understand the world?
Erik Reinert
Readers are also invited to check out Erik’s teaser video on the subject.
Andrea Saltelli is a guru of sensitivity analysis—how to guarantee a responsible use of numbers in policy—which he transformed into ethics of quantification (“caeteris are never paribus”). His best-known book: Sensitivity Analysis in Practice: A Guide to Assessing Scientific Models. Andrea sets the stage:
The Cartesian Dream of prediction and control, of harmony in the running of human affairs with the power of mathematics, has never being more real. Visible and invisible numbers shape our economies, upend our laws, determine our directions of progress, and increasingly colonize any aspect of the real. How did we get there? How can we resist?
Andrea Saltelli
Join us on April 14th, 2021 to learn more. Be sure to read Erik and Andrea’s recent blog post on the Hub and come prepared with an open mind.
- Invited Discussants: Erik Reinert, Andrea Saltelli
- Moderator: Mario Giampietro