# Varying Degrees of Nothingness

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 4, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260 "2003-07-04T17:23:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/1 "2003-07-04T17:23:14Z")

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When a number has no value, it’s zero (0).

When a set has no members, it is the Null Set.

When a piece of writing has a blank space, then nothing is there.

And yet we have keys or codes for each of these things in the various computer codes (hex, ASCII, etc.).

How nothing can you get?

Once you give something a name, it exists at least on some level, if only in the metaphysical.

And once you think about something it comes into existence as the subject of thought, if no more.

When we “return to the void” (if that’s what happens) where is that?

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**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/2 "2003-07-04T18:48:31Z")

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[\_](http://www.nothing.net/)

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**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/3 "2003-07-05T06:27:00Z")

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\_

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**Author:** ![Upham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Upham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Upham)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/4 "2003-07-05T07:20:55Z")

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Tuesday

(which is a function of both time and space)

Tuesday.

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**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/5 "2003-07-05T08:04:30Z")

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**Zeldar** babe, put the bong down…NOW.

😃

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/6 "2003-07-05T09:21:53Z")

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* * *

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/7 "2003-07-05T12:08:57Z")

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Wow! Over 35000 replies we just can’t see yet!

And 5 we can.

And this one is in a state of flux – soon to go from “not there” to “there” (you may wish to call it “here” – but you doesn’t has to call it “Johnson”) with the press of a key and the magic of the internet.

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**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/8 "2003-07-05T17:51:46Z")

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I do not exist.

No really, I don’t.

Seriously.

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**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/9 "2003-07-06T03:56:26Z")

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Fleeting thoughts of dead invisible nihilists.

I tried.

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**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/varying-degrees-of-nothingness/186260/10 "2003-07-06T04:04:40Z")

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We exist as nothing, for we are in a void.