The newsletter about nothing
What makes space, zero and science on the show about nothing
“I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”
― Plato
Same Plato! But nothing, it turns out, is something and it’s interesting.
More on nothing…
WATCH: The Story of Zero
It sounds boring, but it isn’t! This 4-minute video takes a look at the mathematicians that made something (zero) out of nothing. It’s easy to forget that almost everything we know and do is completely made up (time, numbers, work, taxes). This is a quickie explainer of how the numeral zero came to be and why it changed the numbers game.
READ: Science on Seinfeld
This article isn’t like a scientific analysis on the greatness of Seinfeld, but a nice little wrap up of how science on Seinfeld is imitated IRL.
The article goes through some classic Seinfeld science references that have made it to the real world. Like how a mother had to temporarily hand her baby over to welfare because she failed a drug test after eating a poppy seed bagel. Or how data analysis is revolutionising sport ala smart George teaching Yankees players how to hit home runs through physics.
There’s also a reference to ‘Dr Martin van Nostrand’, which is Kramer’s fake doctor name, and how a real scientist outed a shitty journal with fake science under that pseudonym. Oh, the lols!
The article revisits a few jokes with an unusual trip down Seinfeld memory lane. Read it here.
WATCH: Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Nothing
This is a video snippet of the Star Talk Radio podcast by Neil deGrasse Tyson; possibly the smartest scientific communicator ever. This is why I love the episodes co-hosted by comedian Chuck Nice, who thinks more on my level.
In this video, Neil explains the concept of ‘nothing’ to Chuck and how/where in a scientific sense it can exist. *Spoiler alert* the answer is space, but you’ll have to watch the video to find out exactly where.
I recommend watching it because Neil deGrasse Tyson laughing is the best, Chuck’s questions are hilariously real and the stoner level talk at the end about ‘nothingness’ is tier-one trippy.
THEME SONG: Nothing Can Change This Love - Sam Cooke
For me, anxiety and worry are my mind’s manifestation of something out of nothing. In those times, I turn to Headspace or Sam Cooke’s song list of 60s sweetness. It’s a fine cure of bright, boppy, feel-good tunes that are almost impossible to feel shitty to.
Thank you Sam.
And thank you for reading!
Alegria x