I&#x27;m still hoping for something like the &quot;calculus of statement&quot; described in Heinlein&#x27;s &quot;Blowups Happen.&quot; I think that a plurality of axiomatic approaches and formalisms is always better - consider the dialogue between those advocating a change to category-theoretic axioms for modern math and those that want to retain the set-theoretic ones. The debate is very productive.<p>So I think the world needs more thinkers-from-scratch. Shinichi Mochizuki is one such, regarding his work on the &quot;abc conjecture.&quot; But his case makes obvious one other reason there&#x27;s not more from-scratch unconventional thought: it often requires Von Neumann-level intellect to pull off.