2025-09-21 –, Main stage
Much has been said about every other part of the Python language, but none has had less attention than None. We'll explore the history of nothing in the world through zero, then the origin of null in computing, and then what it means to be None in Python.
Nothing has been more controversial in the history of the world than nothing itself. From its representation as a placeholder in Babylonian accounting, to its use in Mayan numbering to its introduction into the world by Indian Mathematicians, the mathematical representation of nothing, the zero and its representation of the void and nothingness had been avoided and fought against by the West up until its inevitable introduction by Fibonnacci in 1202. Centuries later, this zero and nothingness inspired Nihilism, as well as the introduction of the NULL pointer in 1966 by Tony Hoare, called his "billion dollar mistake". Finally, we'll take a deep-dive into Python's own version of nothing, the None object and keyword, and what it means to represent nothingness.
This talk is dedicated to all Python programmers that have ever had a NoneType Error.
None
Who me? I'm a Python/Django developer with ten years of experience and a degree in Literature. I've coached people in Python, and have written more lines of software than poetry. I currently live and work in Berlin.