Zero cover art

Zero

The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

The Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshiped it, and the Church used it to fend off heretics. Now it threatens the foundations of modern physics. For centuries the power of zero savored of the demonic; once harnessed, it became the most important tool in mathematics. For zero, infinity's twin, is not like other numbers. It is both nothing and everything.

In Zero, science journalist Charles Seife follows this innocent-looking number from its birth as an Eastern philosophical concept to its struggle for acceptance in Europe, its rise and transcendence in the West, and its ever-present threat to modern physics. Here are the legendary thinkers - from Pythagoras to Newton to Heisenberg, from the Kabbalists to today's astrophysicists - who have tried to understand it and whose clashes shook the foundations of philosophy, science, mathematics, and religion. Zero has pitted East against West and faith against reason, and its intransigence persists in the dark core of a black hole and the brilliant flash of the big bang. Today, zero lies at the heart of one of the biggest scientific controversies of all time: the quest for a theory of everything.

©2000 Charles Seife (P)2020 Tantor History & Philosophy Mathematics Philosophy Science Cosmology Black Hole Inspiring Math History
All stars
Most relevant
I enjoyed it hugely, the book explained complex maths and physics ideas with very simple language and great analogies.

Very clever

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Enjoyed the interlinked stories stemming from the introduction of zero '0'. Specifically those from ancient societies, and their quests towards a paradigm shift of brought by a 'zero' revolution that re-writes the history.

Enjoyed the interlinked stories of zero '0'

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wonderfully narrated, the book takes you through the history of the number and maths itself.

A fantastic tale about nothing. Literally.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The content was well structure, allowing a seamless flow through information. Fascinating thoughts and ideas that have stuck with me for since reading.

Enamouring

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It just gets better & better & better … fully comprehensive & as you start to get through more you’ll struggle to stop & do something else! Fascinating & it’s all linked beautifully. Suitable for all levels, expert to intelligent maths & space novice. A joyous surprise!

Joyous Surprise

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews