There was a time when a zig-zagging line didn't mean two, and a circle didn't mean zero. NPR's Eric Westervelt talks with Amir Aczel about the origins of our numbers and his book, Finding Zero. So ...

The number zero was a relatively recent and crucial addition − it allows numbers to extend in both directions forever. pixel_dreams/iStock via Getty Images Plus Here’s a game: Ask a friend to give you ...

Researchers at the University of Tübingen in Germany have new evidence suggesting crows can contemplate the number zero. This ability means the birds join an “elite” group of creatures that can ...

What better time to contemplate the conundrum that is zero than the start of a new year? Zero is a fairly new concept in human history and even more recent as a number. It wasn't until around the 7th ...

The number zero is something we all take for granted, yet its conceptual origin has eluded archaeologists and historians. An updated analysis of an ancient Indian manuscript is shedding new light on ...

What is the most important number in the entirety of mathematics? Ok, that’s a pretty silly question – out of infinite possibilities, how could you possibly choose? I suppose a big hitter like 2 or 10 ...

We take it for granted nowadays, but the concept of "zero" was something that had to be invented. As ancient cultures around the world developed different counting systems, they all came up with their ...