Mathematics is the science of patterns. Being able to spot a pattern is a powerful tool in the evolutionary fight for survival. The pattern of the sun means that I can rely on its rising in the sky tomorrow or on the moon running through twenty-eight sunrises before it becomes full again. The caves in Lascaux show how counting thirteen quarters of the moon from the first winter rising of the Pleiades will bring you to a time in the year when the horses are pregnant and easy to hunt. Being able to predict the future is the key to survival.
