I've commented on this on a previously-posted story[1] but the history of zero is really worth digging into. I'll repost the little poem I mentioned previously

I've commented on this on a previously-posted story[1] but the history of zero is really worth digging into. I'll repost the little poem I mentioned previously: >U 0 a 0, but I 0 thee >O 0 no 0, but O 0 me. >O let not my 0 a mere 0 go, >But 0 my 0 I 0 thee so. As noted in the comments here, "cipher" used to be another name for zero/0, so the above reads as: >You sigh for a cipher, but I sigh for thee >O sigh for no cipher, but O sigh for me. >O let not my sigh for a mere cipher go >But sigh for my sigh, for I sigh for thee so. Which, of course, explains why Neo, The One from the Matrix, had an enemy named Cypher. 1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9196813 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9196813