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They serve us for calculating, measuring, or coding, yet little is known about their history: numbers. From Mesopotamia over 5,000 years ago, through India and China, to the Arab world – this three-part series takes us through the fascinating world history of numbers and explains why one method of counting ultimately prevailed and became a universal system of reference.

Why do we speak of "Arabic numerals" in Europe, even though they were "invented" in India? How did these ten little symbols begin their triumphant journey around the world from there? Why did zero change the course of history? The second episode follows the trail of Brahmins visiting Baghdad, Arab scientists, and traders in the Sahara.

From Europe to America, from the beginnings of modern science to computer science: numbers have been omnipresent throughout world history. Gradually, they have permeated all areas of life, yet today, calculations are rarely performed. Is this the end of a long history or the beginning of a new era? With the computer, numbers became the only truly universal language.