The exploration of very small & very large spaces, and the nature of time, is outside of practical concerns - I don't need these thoughts to survive. As a math teacher, however, I was looking for ways to sell mathematics as relevant to middle school students. While I am inclined to view all reality as inherently mathematical, I did not expect to consider the proposition that an acceptance of a reality outside of myself implies a mathematical universe. Given the conclusion that math may be the beating heart of reality, maybe I sell the importance of math to reluctant learners with a newfound enthusiasm.
My students as a whole may not yet feel their lives depend on quantum mechanics, or care to consider whether our universe will end in a whimper or a crunch or a snap. They may not yet even be developmentally ready for such questions. For me, on the other hand, my passion for life depends on the belief in a larger reality to counteract the absurdity of a world governed by militant ignorance. My belief in a source of truth and universal values depends on a rational universe, and a bedrock of cause and effect relationships.
