# Is it be possible for humans to create something completely novel and new that is based on nothing t **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310 "2018-11-10T17:16:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cathy967](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Cathy967](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cathy967)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/1 "2018-11-10T17:16:47Z")
Pondering #6 ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/2 "2018-11-10T17:42:16Z")
Could you elaborate a little more. It could be an interesting topic I think. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/3 "2018-11-10T18:01:30Z")
If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent Nothing T. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/4 "2018-11-10T18:02:53Z")
How about mathematics? The idea of being able to not only have abstract quantities but to manipulate them in consistent operations and produce useful results. This isn’t something that exists in nature. No other species does it. So I would say mathematics qualifies as something that humans created out of nothing that came before (assuming that’s the OP’s question). ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/5 "2018-11-10T18:06:10Z")
I use to watch a TV show about nothing. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/6 "2018-11-10T18:09:14Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I use to watch a TV show about nothing. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/7 "2018-11-10T18:17:45Z")
I am having a hard time comprehending nothingness as it applies here. The best I can come up with is are we capable of creating something viable with no other motivation beyond creativity. If the motivation came from just to create something new it would change this. With a slightly broader interpretation I might compare it to using known ingredients to create a recipe not formerly known. ``` I think new concepts based on previously non connected aspects of reality could qualify. Great question, I can see myself pondering this all day. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/8 "2018-11-10T18:21:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How about mathematics? The idea of being able to not only have abstract quantities but to manipulate them in consistent operations and produce useful results. This isn’t something that exists in nature. No other species does it. So I would say mathematics qualifies as something that humans created out of nothing that came before (assuming that’s the OP’s question). I see that the OP has already brought up this idea in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Cathy967](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Cathy967](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cathy967)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/9 "2018-11-10T18:32:23Z")
haha ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/10 "2018-11-10T18:36:25Z")
> [@Cathy967](#): > > haha Have you ever looked at your hand? I mean _really_ looked? I mean, whoah, it’s like your hand is the only thing that can _touch itself_. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/11 "2018-11-10T18:50:44Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Have you ever looked at your hand? I mean _really_ looked? I mean, whoah, it’s like your hand is the only thing that can _touch itself_. [Otto? Is that you?](https://youtube.com/watch?v=Reruwp_Fs3Y) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/12 "2018-11-10T21:45:50Z")
What about the other 25 letters of the alphabet? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/13 "2018-11-10T21:57:13Z")
A number of synthetic elements have been created that don’t exist in nature. Granted, they’re currently created by bombarding an existing high-atomic-number element with a lot of energy, but I think that at least in theory one could start with pure energy, create particles and anti-particles, strip 'em apart and work your way up. BTW while nosing about the Interwebs looking at information on the transuranics, I came across this little nugget: > [@](#): > > Californium in the environment > > Californium does not occur naturally on Earth. **All that there now is has been synthesized, but this element was produced in the past when several nuclear reactors were in operation 2 billion years ago in Africa.** Californium can be encountered outside nuclear facilities and research laboratories because it is used in mineral prospetting and for medical diagnosis and treatment. From [here](https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/cf.htm#ixzz5WUVixbKa) Ooookay… (apparently, according to the saner corners of the internet, this has to do with the Koeberg reactor in SA producing unwanted byproducts. Nice proofreading, guys!) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/14 "2018-11-10T22:38:36Z")
What the hell does “pondering #6” mean? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/15 "2018-11-10T22:56:38Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > What the hell does “pondering #6” mean? 😕 This was one of a series of profound threads started by OP. I believe Wittgenstein used a similar numbering system. ---
**Author:** ![Cathy967](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Cathy967](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cathy967)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/16 "2018-11-10T23:27:18Z")
You’re right ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-be-possible-for-humans-to-create-something-completely-novel-and-new-that-is-based-on-nothing-t/824310/17 "2018-11-10T23:36:02Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > What about the other 25 letters of the alphabet? Back when nobody knew Y.