Speaker Series with Hal R. Varian, Chief Economist of Google Wednesday November 25th, 2009, 7-9 pm France-Amériques, 9 avenue Franklin Roosevelt - 75008. Paris IN ENGLISH. The discussion will be followed by a glass of champagne. These days nearly every economic transaction involves a computer in some form or other. What does this mean for economics? Hal Varian argues that the ubiquity of computers enables new and more efficient contractual forms, better alignment of incentives and more sophisticated data extraction and analysis. It creates an environment for controlled experimentation and it allows for unprecedented personalization and customization. He reviews some of the long and rich history of these phenomena and describes some of their implications for current and future practices. |