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Zero to Infinity

Season 49 Episode 19 | 53m 32s

Zero and infinity. These seemingly opposite, obvious, and indispensable concepts are relatively recent human inventions. Discover the surprising story of how these key concepts that revolutionized mathematics came to be – not just once, but over and over again as different cultures invented and re-invented them across thousands of years.

Aired: 11/15/22 | Expires: 06/21/23
National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.
Extras
From electric flight to artificial noses, engineers are finding new ways to preserve our planet.
Humans are born to roam. See how engineers are inventing new ways to explore and extend our range.
Is engineering humanity’s superpower? See how we can amplify our natural abilities in amazing ways.
Blending innovation and culture, engineers bring a robotic Double Dutch machine to life.
Dive into the universe at the tiniest – and weirdest – of scales.
Watch this interview with Sir Arthur C. Clarke for The Mind Machine (1978.)
Hurricanes are getting more intense, faster.
Knights and firearms clashed on the battlefield for over 200 years.
Meet the surprising, oddball worlds moving around our solar system.
The moon Phobos has a mysterious origin but a certain expiration date.
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  • NOVA Season 23
From electric flight to artificial noses, engineers are finding new ways to preserve our planet.
Humans are born to roam. See how engineers are inventing new ways to explore and extend our range.
Is engineering humanity’s superpower? See how we can amplify our natural abilities in amazing ways.
Dive into the universe at the tiniest – and weirdest – of scales.
Meet the surprising, oddball worlds moving around our solar system.
Visit strange, frozen worlds to discover the bizarre ice that forms beyond Earth.
Discover the powerful volcanic eruptions that have shaped worlds across our solar system.
What are the weirdest worlds in our solar system, and how did they come to be?
Discover the dramatic forces creating spectacular weather on neighboring planets and moons.
Explore big discoveries that have revolutionized our understanding of the universe.