What does 42 mean?

Question

Call me stupid but when someone says what is the meaning of life and someone says back 42 what does that mean????

After quick research I found out it has something to do with the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy which I never watched/Read because it sounded dumb

Answer 1

In the hitchikers guide to the galaxy (a popular british sci fi thing), all the advanced sentient races in the universe collaborated together to make a giant computer to figure out the meaning of life, and after churning through lots of calculation, it said the meaning of life/the answer to the great question was 42.

I think in the original context, it was supposed to make a point about how people will always be searching for the meaning to life, and that no matter how advanced we get/how much we progress, this will always remain true.

Since then it's become a joke in pop culture that repeats a lot.

In terms of what 42 actually means, it then spawned another question which was "what was the great question which created the answer 42," which I believe was never answered in the book. Lots of random philosophical inferences you can make from that as well.

Hope that helps!
*The 42 thing is more common in england than the US

Answer 2

You've never read any Doug Adams!!!!!!!

HERETIC!!!!!! You should be burned at the stake!!!

Get a copy of the 'Hitchikers Guide' (also 'The Restaurant at the End of the Universe', 'Life, the Universe, and Everything', and 'So Long and Thanks for all the Fish') and correct this terrible oversight in your enculturation.

Now go forth, child, and Sin no more ☺

Doug
EDIT: You might also enjoy 'Last Chance to See'. An excellent book about endangered species.

Answer 3

It's actually quite a good book. Try it. You might like it. But don't expect it to actually tell you the meaning of life. It's just fiction.

Answer 4

It's a reference to a book that has influenced many people. I myself have no read it, but many people refer to it in some way. It's up to you whether you want to read it or not, but it originally came from a book that has gained some popularity in society.

Answer 5

4 squared is 16, 1-6=5 nuf' said.