This the first of a series of talks by Prof Mike Worboys discussing how some cornerstone concepts manifest themselves as fundamental in a range of cultural practices, with a focus of music, mathematics, and religion (particularly, Zen Buddhism).

This talk considers ‘nothing’. Music is an interplay between sound and silence; zero is a foundation of our number systems; and the void and emptiness, as well as keeping silence, are fundamental to many religions. Indeed the ‘enso’ or ‘empty circle’, shown in the figure, is the principal emblem of Zen.

The speaker is well qualified to speak on this topic, having higher degrees in both mathematics and music as well as having spent a prolonged period as a Zen practitioner.

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