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Last night, I watched a documentary on YouTube about the Maya civilization hosted by the original RoboCop auditioning for Nicolas Cage's role in National Treasure. Look it up.

 

After getting over the fact I hadn't decided to slip streams because, somehow, watching a frowning, pre-headshot wound RoboCop speaking like he doesn't seem ready to forgive me yet while explaining to the camera how to use ancient stairs (spoiler alert: they're just like ours) seemed a respectable break from watching adopted beavers being busy on TikTok until my legs have fallen asleep from sitting on the toilet for too long, I learned that the Maya invented zero.

 

I tried to verify this, but its quite difficult to research nothing on Google, much less anything. So, let's go with that. The Maya invented zero.

 

At least, they had the first explicit use of zero, and it was on a monument dated to around the mid-4th century. Actually, 357 AD, bacause the Maya, also, calendars.

 

The decision to add zero to this monument, as opposed to nothing, was monumental. But, it did not come without great debate.

 

Translated here for the first time from partial stone fragments, I present, "The Pitch."

 

RUSSELL: So, what have you two come up with?

 

JERRY: Well, we've thought about this in a variety of ways. But the basic idea is-

 

GEORGE: (Interrupting) May I?

 

JERRY: Go ahead.

 

GEORGE: I think I can sum this up for you with one word: NOTHING.

 

RUSSELL: Nothing?

 

GEORGE: (Smiling) Nothing.

 

RUSSELL: (Unimpressed) What does that mean?

 

GEORGE: It's nothing.

 

JERRY: (To George) Well, it's not nothing.

 

GEORGE: (To Jerry) No, it's nothing.

 

SEPT 21

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