… but since Qiaochu asked that we take ultrafinitism seriously, I’ll give a serious answer: something else will probably replace ultrafinitism as my preferred (maximum a posteriori) view of math and the world within 20 years or so. That is, I expect to determine that the question of whether ultrafinitism is true is not quite the right question to be asking, and have a better question by then, with a different best guess at the answer… just because similar changes of perspective have happened to me several times already in my life.
For what it’s worth, I’m an ultrafinitist. Since 2005, at least as far as I’ve been able to tell.
How long do you expect to stay an ultrafinitist?
Until I’m destroyed, of course!
… but since Qiaochu asked that we take ultrafinitism seriously, I’ll give a serious answer: something else will probably replace ultrafinitism as my preferred (maximum a posteriori) view of math and the world within 20 years or so. That is, I expect to determine that the question of whether ultrafinitism is true is not quite the right question to be asking, and have a better question by then, with a different best guess at the answer… just because similar changes of perspective have happened to me several times already in my life.
Is that because 2005 is as far from the present time as you dare to go?