Realms
Didier Verna
Transversality
Biology vs.
CS
Discovery vs.
Invention
Tinkering vs.
Engineering
Case Study:
L
A
T
E
X
Perspectives
Transversality: a cure for parceling
François Jacob (1977) on parceling:
The beginning of modern science can be dated
from the time when such general questions as “How
was the universe created?” [. . . ] were replaced by
such limited questions as “How does a stone fall?”
Antoine Danchin (2009) on reunification:
As Science progresses, there is a steady decrease
in the number of postulates on which it has to rely for its
development.
Uri Alon (2003) on reunification:
A fundamental scientific challenge: understanding
the laws of nature that unite evolved and engineered
systems.
2/8
Realms
Didier Verna
Transversality
Biology vs.
CS
Discovery vs.
Invention
Tinkering vs.
Engineering
Case Study:
L
A
T
E
X
Perspectives
Discovery vs. Invention
Biology Computer Science
Genetic "Program"
Biological Networks
?
Program vs. Computer
Modularity, Robustness
Some people reverse-engineer Biology
Why not reverse-tinker Computer Science as well ?
4/8
Realms
Didier Verna
Transversality
Biology vs.
CS
Discovery vs.
Invention
Tinkering vs.
Engineering
Case Study:
L
A
T
E
X
Perspectives
The tinkerer vs. the engineer
François Jacob (1977):
[Natural selection] works like a tinkerer – a
tinkerer who does not know exactly what he is
going to produce.
the engineer works according to a
pre-conceived plan [. . . ] the objects produced by
the engineer, at least by the good engineer,
approach the level of perfection made possible by
the technology of the time.
5/8
Realms
Didier Verna
Transversality
Biology vs.
CS
Discovery vs.
Invention
Tinkering vs.
Engineering
Case Study:
L
A
T
E
X
Perspectives
A reverse-tinkering example: L
A
T
E
X
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\end{document}
%% Preamble
%% Body
Nuclear Envelope
Plasma Membrane
Classes, Styles, Conflicts: the biological Realm of
L
A
T
E
X. In TUGboat 31:2 2010, Proceedings of TUG
2010, the T
E
X Users Group conference.
7/8
