How do standards govern life? This question, posed by Laurent Thévenot (2009) regarding the commitments of humans to their environment, gives an insight to the tonality of this special issue, which refers to a recent STS meeting devoted to the Standardization Process of Medical Practice. Stemming from medical innovations and controversies, the aim of our encounter consisted of exploring the links between the production of scientifi c objectivity, the standardization of practices or indicators, and the writing of history (…).