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“What is a zero anyway?
A zero signifies nothing,
all it does is tell
you nothing about nothing.
Still, isn't zero also something meaningful,
a number in and of itself?
In jianpu notation,
zero indicates a
caesura,
a pause or rest of indeterminate length.
Does time that goes
uncounted, unrecorded, still qualify as time?
If zero is both
everything and nothing,
Does an empty life have exactly
the same weight
as a full life?
Is zero like the desert,
both finite and infinite?”
- Madeleine Thien
Why Do We Make A Nothing Of Zero?
The Importance of Being Zero
Zero is an odd beast.
Without it, we would not have the binary code that makes our computer age possible.
Yet, it took until the 7th century for it to be recognized as a
number in its own right,
when the ancient Indians developed a
numerical system that expressed zero with its own symbol.
Since the
development of this number system, which we still use today,
zero has
been instrumental in our exploration of mathematics.
The invention of zero represents an extremely important step
in humankind's intellectual evolution ...
For if Nothing can come to mean Something so important,
Does that not imply that while we might feel worthless,
we might essentially be Something beyond value if we but look at ourselves in the right light?
What Do You Think?
Hi Roland - zero is an interesting number and a succinct write up here ... I'll be back to watch the video - as this is the kind of thing I enjoy watching when my brain is in gear!
ReplyDeleteWell done on getting to Z and what a great finish ... cheers Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/z-is-for-zebra-zoo-and-zedland.html
Congratulations on finishing, too. I spent all night driving in wild winds and blinding rains. I'm too pooped to even think straight!
DeleteDoes that not imply that while we might feel worthless, we might essentially be Something beyond value if we but look at ourselves in the right light? Most certainly, yes, IMO. It all depends on how we judge value. Each year, I care less what others think and try to live with honour, caring and learning, three things important to me.
ReplyDeleteI knew we were kindred spirits. :-)
DeleteI'm with Hudson. If we spent more time caring for others and learning, we creatures would be so much happier and productive. Embrace that zero and the place it holds in our world.
ReplyDeleteI think of the human race as a stone arch bridge, each of us supporting the other with our positive presence. :-)
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