> The further mathematical theories veer from their empirical origins, the more "baroque" or "degenerate" they become ... maybe something equivalent to, e.g. mo

> The further mathematical theories veer from their empirical origins, the more "baroque" or "degenerate" they become ... maybe something equivalent to, e.g. modern string theory ... was pissing him off. I really didn't get the impression that this was an attack on "very pure" mathematics. Perhaps an attack on the notion of absolute/universal rigour. The stuff about degeneracy appears almost as an interesting aside.