Is is symbolic of randomness? Of lack of relativity to any meaning? I don't get it. Who came up with this, I see it all the time lately? THANKS for helping out if you can!
2007-09-25 13:28:14 · 21 answers · asked by Guinness 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Is it symbolic, not "is is" ...sorry.
2007-09-25 13:29:29 · update #1
Uh, Doug? I've read countless books, mostly non-fiction, all the classics...I tend to avoid books that sound ludicrous or pop cultural, so I missed this one. Don't judge me for not knowing a bit of pop trivia, huh? Thanks.
2007-09-25 13:42:59 · update #2
I even knew the answer before I read the book, Doug!
2007-09-25 13:44:04 · update #3
Douglas Adams - Hitchhikers Guide. Get it, Read it, brilliantly irrelevant
2007-09-25 13:31:25 · answer #1 · answered by deadmeatuk2 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In the book Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, when the question "what is the meaning of life?" is entered into a super computer the answer comes out, 42, and thus it use a lot, I doubt it has an relevant meaning.
2007-09-25 20:33:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If it's symbolic the only one who knows it's significance is Douglas Adams who wrote the book 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.' You really need to see the film or read the book which for some reason is very popular again. That's why people are quoting it! I think he just picked a random number to show how futile asking the question in the first place is.
2007-09-25 20:54:45 · answer #3 · answered by willowGSD 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Isn't it obvious why 42 is the meaning of live, the universe and everything? How many quarters are there in $10.50? 42! If two people at a BlackJack table in Vegas both hit a BlackJack what is their combined score? 42!! How many wheels are there on 7 cars, 3 tricycles, 2 motorcycle and 1 unicyclce? 42!!! How many legs are there are on 1 cow, 19 Rockettes and 7 fishes? 42!!!! What is Cool Hand Luke's prison number plus how many boiled eggs he ate in one hour divided by two and rounded to the nearest even number? 42!!!!! How many clowns can fit into a Volkswagen? 42!!!!!! Really, I could go on and on revealing all the things there are that point to the ubiquitousness of references across space and time that point to 42 as the meaning of everything. But, consider this? What percentage of Best Answers do I score? 42!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2007-09-26 00:22:07 · answer #4 · answered by wow_bill 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The fact that you have heard about "42" without having read "Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a tribute to Douglas Adams and his ability to write such a random piece of fiction that still makes it into pop culture.
2007-09-26 02:32:08 · answer #5 · answered by piranha_bcw 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just to complete the facts. Yes it's a random number from the super computer at the end of the universe in Hitchikers guide to the galaxy.
Except for this, it was not the answer to the meaning of life. It was the answer to, "Life, the Universe and Everything."
Except for another little problem, "The answer to life, the universe and everything," is not a question.
You should really read the book to get the full understanding of this, it's not apparent in the movie. Long live the mice.
Night night
2007-09-25 20:38:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
It comes from the story ‘hitchhiker guide to the galaxy’ (book, radio, now movie)
A race created a super computer to give them the answer to ‘the meaning of life and everything’. Which the super computer came up with the answer 42, which is not really an answer because we do not know the question. so the super computer designed another computer to come up with the question, and this computer was earth. Which, ironically was destroyed just before the question was going to be given. There is of course much more to it but it was Douglass Adams, his works, who started it.
2007-09-25 20:34:41 · answer #7 · answered by sirwasik 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
In numerology (the Kabbale etc.) 42 is the sum of the elements that make the universe. Go to specialised books or ask a free-mason for details.
Having said that, it's only a game with numbers ...
2007-09-26 03:56:36 · answer #8 · answered by jacquesh2001 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The "Hitchhiker" series of books by Douglas Adams also gives the actual question which might help enlighten one as to the relevance of the answer of "42". But somehow I doubt it as I couldn't fathom it out.
2007-09-26 05:29:32 · answer #9 · answered by CTRL Freak 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it came towards the end of 'a hitchhikers guide to the galaxy' by Douglas Adams as the result of the ultimate question (actually a WRONG answer to a mathematical problem)
read the book
seen the film
tried the stew
2007-09-25 20:50:40 · answer #10 · answered by Aslan 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Actually, the real number was supposed to be 56 or something like that, and the character replied with, "Oh.. I always knew there was something fundamentally wrong with the universe."
So everytime they give you an answer of 42, it is actually wrong. ^_~
2007-09-25 21:31:06 · answer #11 · answered by willow oak 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋