zero Hindu-Arabic positional numeral system

Zero made place-value numbers much more useful

Treating zero as a number gave a numerical value to the absence of a quantity. The zero symbol also became a key part of the Hindu–Arabic place-value number system.

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≈55 million people/year

Medical bills can push patients into poverty

In India, patients often must choose between free public health care with too few resources and expensive private treatment. Medical debt pushes about 55 million people into poverty each year.

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Taiwan was once joined to mainland Asia

People lived on Taiwan 20,000–30,000 years ago, when it was still physically connected to mainland Asia. Rising seas severed that connection about 10,000 years ago.

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