[throwaway4666]

You'd be surprised at the number of "basic phenomena" that turned out to have cultural origins. Look up the language of the Piraha people, who famously does not contain any concept related to numbers or counting (because they have no use for it and introducing it would disrupt the trades they have), among many other things.

Also, cursorily reading a study that contradicts one's preconceptions and going like "nah, my gut feeling doesn't agree with it" is so quintessentially Hacker News ;-)

[twirlock]

Similarly to the existence of waves and simple ratios, actually no, numbers do not have cultural origins.

[throwaway4666]

Funny how you seem unable to conceive of a people that doesn't have a concept of numbers ;-)

[twirlock]

I can conceive perfectly well "of a people" who don't have a concept of all kinds of things. It doesn't mean those things don't exist. Winkyface.