I like that he keeps it open-minded, but I've thought a lot about this and to me the case for numbers being inevitable is decisively yes. Every adaptable system evolves to adapt to a changing environment by detecting "modes" (categories) and adapting to each mode. Then we start noticing categories come in instances. There's a tree, there are more trees. So now it's useful to count them... Then it's useful to have fractions. And measurements (like weight and length). Basic operations like + - emerge, and with that multiplication. And with that division... and so on.
I think the fundamental properties of math are one of those things that will keep emerging for every thinking system. Not because numbers are fundamental to the universe. Rather they're fundamental aspect of intelligently adapting to (i.e. thinking about and making predictions about) the universe.
I think the fundamental properties of math are one of those things that will keep emerging for every thinking system. Not because numbers are fundamental to the universe. Rather they're fundamental aspect of intelligently adapting to (i.e. thinking about and making predictions about) the universe.