Re: 0 * X = null?

From: Owen (oorionus_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 01/30/05 

Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 12:40:48 -0500

  "snafu" <nastyman514@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1107103727.769289.16500@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>> Him: "If you had 2 Xs, you'd have 2 * X. If you had 1 X, ­you'd
  have 1
>> * X. If you had 0 Xs, you would have 0 * X (nothing), no­t 0. You

>> would not have a 0, because 0 is a thing (it's a number). ­ Only
  'null'
>> is nothing."

> It looks like you fell for his joke!

  After telling him your responses, he said he wasn't joking!

  He went on to say:

  Him: "Not only is 0 * X <> 0, but X - X <> 0. X - X = null for the
  same reason. Imagine you have 2 dimes in your hand, and you take those
  dimes away. Ask anyone walking by what you have in your empty hand,
  and they'll probably say 'nothing'. So X - X = nothing (null), not 0."

  I've known this guy for many years, and if he was joking, he would have
  been laughing at me by now for being so gullable.

  His logic makes sense.
  -------------------------

  I don't know about 'him' but I am laughing.
  Clearly, his logic does not make any sense!

  "I'm wondering if we've all been brainwashed to accept a basic premise
  of math!"

  What premise?

  "Only 'null' is nothing."

  Why do you think this remark has any sense?

  Neither 0 nor {} are nothing. There is no such thing as nothing!

  Nothing is not an object, rather is it a way of talking about objects.

  Nothing is F, means, It is not the case that something is F.

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