Bertrand Berche's 50th birthday

Abstract

A story from scientific folklore mentions two principal types of scientists. Scientists of the first type follow a ballistic approach in their research: they go far in a chosen direction, but the area they cover is negligibly small. Scientists of the second type follow a diffusive approach: they try to look in different directions covering a broad area but they go nowhere. Fortunately, such categorizations have exceptions. Indeed, amongst our colleagues there are those who manage to go far in their studies, searching answers to different puzzles put by nature, no matter to which specific sub-field of physics these puzzles are traditionally attributed. Bertrand Berche, who this year celebrates his first jubilee is one of them. Statistical physics, conformal field theory, gauge fields in condensed matter physics, cosmology, complex networks, sociophysics, history and philosophy of physics, these are the fields in which he works. At this point on behalf of his friends, colleagues and the community at large, it is appropriate to celebrate Bertrand Berche’s jubilee and to wish him continued success on his way.