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Description
The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of ZeroA symbol for what is not there, an emptiness that increases any number it's added to, an inexhaustible and indispensable paradox. As we enter the year 2000, zero is once again making its presence felt. Nothing itself, it makes possible a myriad of calculations. Indeed, without zero mathematics as we know it would not exist. And without mathematics our understanding of the universe would be vastly impoverished. But where did this nothing, this hollow
A symbol for what is not there, an emptiness that increases any number it's added to, an inexhaustible and indispensable paradox. As we enter the year 2000, zero is once again making its presence felt. Nothing itself, it makes possible a myriad of calculations. Indeed, without zero mathematics as we know it would not exist. And without mathematics our understanding of the universe would be vastly impoverished. But where did this nothing, this hollow circle, come from? Who created it? And what, exactly, does it mean?Robert Kaplan's The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero begins as a mystery story, taking us back to Sumerian times, and then to Greece and India, piecing together the way the idea of a symbol for nothing evolved. Kaplan shows us just how handicapped our ancestors were in trying to figure large sums without the aid of the zero. (Try multiplying CLXIV by XXIV). Remarkably, even the Greeks, mathematically brilliant as they were, didn't have a zero--or did they? We follow the trail to the East where, a millennium or two ago, Indian mathematicians took another crucial step. By treating zero for the first time like any other number, instead of a unique symbol, they allowed huge new leaps forward in computation, and also in our understanding of how mathematics itself works.
In the Middle Ages, this mathematical knowledge swept across western Europe via Arab traders. At first it was called "dangerous Saracen magic" and considered the Devil's work, but it wasn't long before merchants and bankers saw how handy this magic was, and used it to develop tools like double-entry bookkeeping. Zero quickly became an essential part of increasingly sophisticated equations, and with the invention of calculus, one could say it was a linchpin of the scientific revolution. And now even deeper layers of this thing that is nothing are coming to light: our computers speak only in zeros and ones, and modern mathematics shows that zero alone can be made to generate everything.
Robert Kaplan serves up all this history with immense zest and humor; his writing is full of anecdotes and asides, and quotations from Shakespeare to Wallace Stevens extend the book's context far beyond the scope of scientific specialists. For Kaplan, the history of zero is a lens for looking not only into the evolution of mathematics but into very nature of human thought. He points out how the history of mathematics is a process of recursive abstraction: how once a symbol is created to represent an idea, that symbol itself gives rise to new operations that in turn lead to new ideas. The beauty of mathematics is that even though we invent it, we seem to be discovering something that already exists.
The joy of that discovery shines from Kaplan's pages, as he ranges from Archimedes to Einstein, making fascinating connections between mathematical insights from every age and culture. A tour de force of science history, The Nothing That Is takes us through the hollow circle that leads to infinity.
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 12/01/2000
ISBN: 9780195142372
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 7.73h x 4.68w x 0.60d
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Great Mineral Facial Sunscreen
Size: 1.7 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
This is the best mineral facial sunscreen I’ve used. It comes out as a thin lotion that spreads easily. I have used two other brands and considered a brand that was expensive before trying this. I liked baby bum mineral 50 sunscreen lotion for the body and decided to give this a try. I like sun bum products. They tend to make effective products that are not too expensive. The zinc oxide mineral facial sunscreen I was using slightly irritated my skin and felt heavy like a mask after applying. It left a greasy residue on my face. This sun bum facial mineral sunscreen is non-irritating and feels very light like a chemical-based facial sunscreen. It leaves no residue on the skin. I prefer zinc oxide mineral sunscreen because it’s natural, safe and effective. Some zinc oxide mineral sunscreens put a white caste on the skin after application. The titanium dioxide and zinc oxide blended mineral sunscreens are worse due to the titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is a bright-white powdered substance, and I have not experienced any product with this ingredient that doesn’t appear white on the skin and cannot be blended. This sun bum zinc oxide mineral facial sunscreen has no white caste. Like another reviewer, I also hope that sun bum continues to make this facial mineral sunscreen indefinitely. It’s the best I’ve ever tried and at an excellent price point. If you like mineral sunscreens due to the health and environmental concerns with chemical-based sunscreens, try this before trying more expensive mineral facial sunscreens.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Great product. No white cast
Size: 1.7 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
This is a great everyday face sunscreen. It doesn’t leave a white cast. It’s not greasy. It leaves a nice dewy finish. Strongly recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Great sheer mineral sunscreen!
Size: 1.7 Fl Oz (Pack of 1), Size: 1.7 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
I’ve never been a mineral sunscreen fan but I really love this one. I needed a mineral sunscreen for days where I knew I was going to be sweating or swimming because the chemical stuff would run into my eyes and burn so bad. This one doesn’t burn my eyes at all.
It doesn’t leave a white cast but it is a little oily and leaves me quite shiny for about 10-15 mins until it fully dries. I don’t really mind because it works well.
I would definitely recommend 👌
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Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2025
★★★★★ 4
It's okay. Better for dry skin.
Size: 1.7 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
It's a nice product but still too greasy for my poor skin. It's pretty moisturizing. It isnt thick, but my skin gets greasy quickly with it. (I prefer Australian Gold tinted (the big tube meant for the body, not face).
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Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2026
★★★★★ 3
Greasy on face
Size: 1.7 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
Feels greasy when you put it on.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2026
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