0 to 9 : The Secret History of Numbers — Season 1, Episode 3: From Tool to Universal Code
Documentary • 52 min • 1 season, 3 episodes • ★ 8.0/10
Episode synopsis
From Europe to America, from the beginnings of modern science to computer science: numbers have been omnipresent throughout world history. Gradually, they have permeated all areas of life, yet today, calculations are rarely performed. Is this the end of a long history or the beginning of a new era? With the computer, numbers became the only truly universal language.
About 0 to 9 : The Secret History of Numbers
The history of our modern Indo-Arabic numeral system begins in Mesopotamia, leads through India to the Arab world – and from there around the globe. This three-part series explores how the "Arabic numerals" began their triumphant march and the special role that zero played in this process. From its beginnings to modern computer science – today, numbers are the universal language of the world.