Full Idea
The great book of the universe cannot be understood unless one can understand the language in which it is written - the language of mathematics.
Gist of Idea
To understand the universe mathematics is essential
Source
Galileo Galilei (Il Saggiatore ('The Assayer') [1623], VI.232)
Book Reference
Cottingham,John: 'The Rationalists' [OUP 1988], p.5
A Reaction
Nice, though one might say that humans created the language of maths to help them discuss the patterns they perceived in nature. Maybe what is special is order, and all order can be described mathematically.