James George
Out of Bounds
13 April 2024
Human Inventions
And Beyond
“Could it be that rather than mathematics describing the universe, the universe is a manifestation of mathematics? Something constructible step by step from this system alone, from which its patterns are inherited? If so, the ramifications would be far-reaching. One might be able to skirt the need for a divine creator entirely, and equally momentously, recast all of science as arising not from physical, but purely mathematical origins.” Mathematics Can Do Anything But This, By Manil Suri, August 8, 2023
Logically and practically, humans invented many religious myths, with many beliefs centered on gods and goddesses. They did this because people need order and a way to understand and cope with reality. It would take thousands of years for humans to discover math, physics, and science as we know it.
One proposition is that math existed in the universe before human beings. Some humans might say that God created humans, and we discovered math. Alternatively, some scientists say math existed in the universe without humans, and people eventually found it.
I don’t know about mythical gods, though I do understand math. Some people have stronger math abilities than others, as it is a function of DNA and heredity.
“Is it true that some people can’t do math?”
“Research shows that humans are born with an inherent sense of numbers, known as numerosity. The concept of numerosity is one of the only high-level cognitive functions mapped to a specific brain region. In other words, we are primed to do basic math, but culture gets in the way.” Elizabeth Landau
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