Quote:
Originally Posted by Gillianren
It's a tool, but it's an essential tool. The numbers are measurements and models for how things work. If you don't have numbers, your idea cannot be tested.
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There are a lot of things that can be tested without numbers. I don't think Darwin required numbers to demonstrate natural selection. Though yes, for cosmology mathematics are often important for making ideas testable.
I think the issue is more like this: knowing the math often makes the proposition testable, like Gillianren says, but also it is a demonstration that the person has an idea of what he/she is talking about. There's nothing godlike about mathematics, but being able to make something into a formula shows that you have thought through ideas. In a sense, it makes you a member of a club of people who have an understanding that makes your ideas more serious in a way.