The Black Mallet :: One before Zero

by Ziya Tong     Department: Correlations

A few weeks ago we met Georg Cantor, a man so obsessed with seeking out mathematical proofs for his theories of infinity, that in the end he went a little bit batty.  So on the flipside today, we'll be looking at one of humanity's more successful attempts at numerical conquest. Specifically, how the "discovery" of a seemingly obvious number completely transformed the world that we live in.

In The Story of 1, Terry Jones (from Monty Python's Flying Circus) takes us on a fun romp around the globe to uncover the history of the number one. From Ancient Sumer and Greece, to Rome, Baghdad and India, we'll learn how this humble number paved the way for the growth of cities and empires, transactions and trade, and even eventually (with the introduction of Zero) the digital universe that brings you the words on this page.
 

Tags: black mallet, discovery, history, infinity, one, zero, Ziya Tong