NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

USA Conversation

The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

From thousands to millions to billions to trillions to quadrillions and beyond: Do numbers ever end?

  • Written by Manil Suri, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
imageThe number zero was a relatively recent and crucial addition − it allows numbers to extend in both directions forever.pixel_dreams/iStock via Getty Images Plusimage

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Why don’t numbers...

Read more: From thousands to millions to billions to trillions to quadrillions and beyond: Do numbers ever end?

More Articles ...

  1. Shadow war no more: Hostilities between Israel and Iran have strayed into direct warfare – is there any going back?
  2. ‘I’m not black, I’m O.J.’: What O.J. Simpson’s life showed about transcending race and being trapped by it
  3. Has the media learned anything since the O.J. Simpson trial?
  4. The hidden risk of letting AI decide – losing the skills to choose for ourselves
  5. The South’s aging water infrastructure is getting pounded by climate change – fixing it is also a struggle
  6. A monumental case, unfolding in a court of law and a court of public opinion – Trump goes on trial
  7. A young Black scientist discovered a pivotal leprosy treatment in the 1920s − but an older colleague took the credit
  8. Colorado is latest state to try turning off the electrical grid to prevent wildfires − a complex, technical operation pioneered in California
  9. Nitazenes found in 5 overdose deaths in Philly – here’s what they are and why they’re so deadly
  10. The unfinished business of John F. Kennedy’s vision for world peace
  11. Medieval Europe was far from democratic, but that didn’t mean tyrants got a free pass
  12. How Iran responds to Damascus attack could determine trajectory of conflict in the Middle East
  13. Taxes are due even if you object to government policies or doubt the validity of the 16th Amendment’s ratification
  14. The backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion in business is in full force − but myths obscure the real value of DEI
  15. How jurors will be selected in Trump’s legal cases - a criminal law expert explains
  16. Starbucks seeks Supreme Court protection from being preemptively ordered to rehire baristas who say they were fired for union-promoting activities
  17. I spent a decade helping Afghan girls make educational progress − and now the Taliban are using these 3 reasons to keep them out of school
  18. Elephant tourism often involves cruelty – here are steps toward more humane, animal-friendly excursions
  19. Domestic violence survivors seek homeless services from a system that often leaves them homeless
  20. Personalized cancer treatments based on testing drugs quickly leads to faster treatment, better outcomes
  21. Newly discovered genetic variant that causes Parkinson’s disease clarifies why the condition develops and how to halt it
  22. PFAS ‘forever chemicals’: Why EPA set federal drinking water limits for these health-harming contaminants
  23. Infections after surgery are more likely due to bacteria already on your skin than from microbes in the hospital − new research
  24. Bollywood is playing a large supporting role in India’s elections
  25. New York City greenlights congestion pricing – here’s how this toll plan is expected to improve traffic, air quality and public transit
  26. Using research to solve societal problems starts with building connections and making space for young people
  27. Trump pushes the limits of every restriction he faces – including threatening judges and their families
  28. Talking to Americans reveals the diversity behind the shared opinion ‘the country is on the wrong track’
  29. House of Representatives holds off on Ukraine aid package − here’s why the US has a lot at stake in supporting Ukraine
  30. Is this the dawn of a new era in women’s sports?
  31. Are embassies off-limits? Ecuadorian and Israeli actions suggest otherwise − and that sets a dangerous diplomatic precedent
  32. From Reagan to Obama, presidents have left office with ‘strategic regret’ − will leaving troops in Iraq and Syria be Biden or Trump’s?
  33. Family caregivers can help shape the outcomes for their loved ones – an ICU nurse explains their vital role
  34. How to battle boredom at work
  35. Silicon Valley and Shenzhen, China, will get all the growth from AI if other regions don’t invest now to compete
  36. In a future with more ‘mind reading,’ thanks to neurotech, we may need to rethink freedom of thought
  37. Tiny crystals capture millions of years of mountain range history – a geologist excavates the Himalayas with a microscope
  38. Fossilized dinosaur eggshells can preserve amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, over millions of years
  39. Why Sikhs celebrate the festival of Baisakhi
  40. Rebuilding Gaza was seen as a ‘Herculean’ task before Oct. 7; six months of bombing has led to crises that will long outlive the war
  41. Dali hit Key Bridge with the force of 66 heavy trucks at highway speed
  42. US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names
  43. Coastal wetlands can’t keep pace with sea-level rise, and infrastructure is leaving them nowhere to go
  44. A dramatic schism over social issues? The United Methodist Church has been here before – but this time, America’s religious landscape is far different
  45. Fetal personhood rulings could nullify a pregnant patient’s wishes for end-of-life care
  46. Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains
  47. Happier, more connected neighborhoods start right in the front yard
  48. What causes earthquakes in the Northeast, like the magnitude 4.8 that shook New Jersey? A geoscientist explains
  49. College athletes still are not allowed to be paid by universities − here’s why
  50. Biden steps up pressure on Israel − using the key levers available against an ally with strong domestic support