The Spiritual Lesson Zero Teaches Us

A zero placed after four will make it 40, which is a tenfold increase in the value of the original number. The same zero, placed after 4000, will make it 40,000. In percentage terms the increase in value is the same in both cases. But in real terms, the gain in value in the first case is 36 units, while in the second case it is 36,000 units – a huge difference.

- B.K. USHA

The number zero might seem like 'nothing', but it is one of the most important numbers in mathematics. In the decimal system, zero lets us distinguish between numbers like 10, 100, and 1000. Without zero, we would not be able to tell the difference between 42 and 402 — it keeps our place value system working properly. Zero also allows us to express the absence of a quantity in a clear and measurable way. Without zero, modern computing, science, and technology would not exist. The binary code used in computers relies on zeroes and ones. So zero, also called nought or nil, is by no means a worthless number.