Is Math the Language of the Universe?

There is a very common debate over the nature of math. Is it something that exists as part of the universe that we slowly "discover" or is it something we make up to try and explain our crazy world? After a lot of careful thought, this video is my answer.
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[jpettys]

As I was listening to this video at 7:55 my wife walks through the kitchen and hears, "No number will ever answer those deep philosophical questions." "Forty-two, " she says on her way by without skipping a beat. Nick immediately answers, as if he heard her, "Not even 42." Makes my day. :)

[AkshayPatil-qfeh]

this also raises the question, "is math invented or discovered?"

[upandatom]

Great upload! I've heard that phrase so many times and it's never really been explained. I love how you went into so much detail about defining everything. Awesome!

[culwin]

Wow, this guy sure hates average density.

[Quizzingisfun]

You: "No number will ever answer those deep philosophical questions"
Me: "well except 42"
You, zoomig in: " *NOT EVEN 42* "

[Skraboing]

These videos are brilliant! I can't understand why there are only 40K subscribers! You deserve to have at least 20 times that amount! Keep up the good work Nick, this channel deserves to be huge!

[ahgflyguy]

Math is a language we made up. A small portion of the mathematical language has been created and expanded precicely because it described some bits of the universe.



Physics is our attempt to describe the universe at its fundamental levels, and physics used to be done in a spoken language, such Aristotelian logic. But that didn't get us anywhere. So people started using math, and the results were so overwhelmingly good that we just kept on using math, and making up new math when needed.

[philrudski]

"Not even 42". I laughed out loud. Nice one.

[gabrielbraz]

5:42 "if math really is the language of the universe, then everything we calculate should have meaning"
Totally desagress with this. English is the language of the Harry Potter books, but not every sentence in english has a meaning in the books, and every meaning of the books can be written in english. So not everything in math should have a meaning in the universe, but all in the universe should be able to be written using math. Gravity, speed of light, all celestial bodies, everything is described using math, and what isn't is probably because we still didn't figured how to do it. So in my opinion math is the language of the universe.
About the deep philosophical questions, they aren't about the universe, they are about us, and the universe can exist without us in it, so these questions shouldn't be used to disprove math as the language of the universe.

[Pete-Prolly]

@5:11 It totally has a translation in Propositional Logic and in Predicate Logic which are both branches of Mathematics. Check it.

I⇔(K⇔(B≤C)) = It’s okay to be a little crazy = Eίναι εντάξει να είσαι λίγο τρελός.
(Math) (English) (Greek, just to go the extra mile)

(I didn't use Google for any of this, didn't need to; I'm fluent in Greek, and I'm a Math/Logic Undergrad)

Notation Legend (Math/Logic)

I = It’s
K = okay
B = to be
C = crazy
⇔ equivalent, (logically equivalent)
⊆ a subset, ⊆C is a set contained in C
≤ less than or equal to
∃ = Existential quantifier, it reads: "there exists..."
: such that

It means the same thing as this: I=(K=(B≤C)) (Each term is just represented with a variable.)
You might also see Logician write this in Set Theory: I⇔(K⇔(B⊆C)
or in Predicate Logic = ∃K: K(B, C)
This states that: "There exists K, such that K describes the relationship between B, C."
or to be more specific: "There exists "Okay" such that "Okay" describes the relationship "Being" is having with "Crazy."

Notation Greek to English

Eίναι εντάξει να είσαι λίγο τρελός =
It’s okay to be a-little crazy

Eίναι = It’s
εντάξει = okay
να = to
είσαι = be
λίγο = little *(see asterik at bottom of page for details)
τρελός = crazy

Notation: Math to English to Greek

I = It’s = Eίναι
K = okay = εντάξει
B = to be = να είσαι
C = crazy = τρελός
⇔ equivalent, (logically equivalent)
⊆ a subset, ⊆C is a set contained in C
≤ less than or equal to
∃ = Existential quantifier, it reads: "there exists..."
: such that

I⇔(K⇔(B≤C)) = Eίναι εντάξει να είσαι λίγο τρελός.

*(There is no “a” because “little” itself does not have singularity or plurality in Greek unless more than one entity is slightly crazy. Here, only one thing is little: the size, or measurement of “crazy.“)
The literal, "word-for-word, " translation from Greek→English would be: “It’s okay to be little crazy.” Which is exactly what you hear from many people with European accents, like some of my Uncles lol.

I may have abused the "it's okay to be a little crazy" rule, and went to far, lol. (If anyone understands it then totally worth it!)

[dmalane]

Loved the video. Math might be our human language’s attempt to describe the universe, But the universe does not speak the language of math, the universe could probably care less about our math!

[shortvids]

I learnt more about science on your channel than I've ever learnt in past 10 years in school

[halfhouse]

Whoever coined that phrase that "math is the language of the universe" probably meant it in the sense that math has a universal quality that other sentient beings would understand. Because of that, mathematical concepts as well as formulas could serve as a foundation for communication.

One plus one equals two is a universal fact (as far as we know), so building on that, it should be possible to trade with aliens. That example is simplistic but it illustrates the point I'm making.

I enjoy your videos, by the way. They're very informative.

[Hunar]

0:13 first time that i actually read all of them



2. No pants is best pants 😂😂

[arnoldcaines]

Math can definitely describe our physical situation but our spiritual/ philosophical situation is another matter. I think you hit on this dichotomy brilliantly.

[joelcraig]

Yaaa... i was talking to the Universe the other day and It only speaks Esperanto.

[hudson]

Great video. I'm enjoying the channel it a lot.

[lukewright]

I wish I had a teacher like you in school - I would have become a Scientist for sure! :)

[MsKingwa]

You are lovely. You make learning fun. I'm healing my 'math trauma' of the past by teaching myself math. This was great

[jurggjon]

"Math would be just a small part of the best translation of the language of the universe." This expression only makes me see things in a totally different perspective. Thanks.