Word: imperfection
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...world. Despite the unprecedented collapse of several Wall Street giants that relied on quantitative forecasting, they say that the fundamentals of quantitative techniques remain intact.But at the same time, there is a new note of humility—an explicit recognition that the world is complex, formulas are imperfect, and humans are fallible.THE GREAT UNKNOWNWhile debates continue to rage over the length, severity, or causes of the financial crisis, economists have agreed on one of its effects: a renewed caution about the predictive powers of mathematics.Harvard Business School professor Robert C. Merton says that finance, unlike other subfields of economics...
...leave Harvard, I leave with the love of a child for his imperfect parent, with the knowledge that the parent’s virtues and imperfections are the foundations of my own. I love Harvard, will always love Harvard, and will fight—from near or far-- to make it a better place. And I thank you--my teachers, students, colleagues, and staff--for being the trellis of my growth and the flowering vines on my trellis...
...drones are far from infallible, however. They can survey only small patches of territory at a time, and it would take thousands of them to cover every nook and cranny of Pakistan's long frontier. Several crashes have been reported. Thermal cameras are notoriously imperfect. Even under ideal conditions, images can be blurry. In one of several stills from drone video seen by TIME, it's hard to tell if a group of men is kneeling in prayer or the men are militants in battle formation. "The basic problem with all aerial reconnaissance is that it's subject to error...
...given adequate time and a forum for feedback, we do not doubt that the Harvard community could generate less expensive and even safer solutions to the dangers posed by the nighttime commute to the Quad. But to make cuts to an already imperfect shuttle system without having first established a safe alternative is beyond irresponsible. It is a reckless decision that will cut financial costs at the expense of student safety, and this is not a deal that anyone should be willing to accept...
...Baroque - the name derives from a word meaning imperfect pearl - theater was not limited to the stage; cathedrals, too, filled with drama and lighting effects. An ornate altarpiece, glittering Roman altar furniture, and Rubens' harrowing Descent from the Cross (1611) all demonstrate the church's use of overwhelming ornament to tug at emotions. (See 10 things to do in London...