TED-Ed: Mysteries of vernacular: Zero - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

The video explores the history and evolution of the concept of zero, starting from early counting methods 37,000 years ago to the development of written number systems in Mesopotamia. It highlights the significant contribution of Indian mathematicians in the 7th century, who used a dot as a placeholder, which evolved into the zero symbol. The etymology of the word zero is traced from Arabic to Italian and English, alongside the related term cipher, which originally meant empty but later referred to codes. Zero remains a symbol representing nothing.

What is the relationship between the words 'zero' and 'cipher'?

How does the concept of zero represent the idea of nothingness?