Every result in physics hitherto has been some sort of mathematics: an equation or a constant (measured or otherwise established to some digits of precision).  What is a particle? A collection of mathematical properties. So is a wave. If we extrapolate from the past to the future, we can expect more of the same: no &quot;non-mathematical bottom&quot; will be found. Nobody is even looking; the researchers expect all new results to take the shape of math. So the notion that &quot;maybe it&#x27;s just math all the way down&quot; is actually quite rational. One day we may hit bottom, the way a (terminating) recursive function does, and realize; this is it: there is nothing more going forward, and if we look back, it&#x27;s just a collection of math.