Wait, why 42?

[LilaTheMoo]

I know what you're going to say, "why not 42?" I know there's no reason why it shouldn't be 42, but did DNA ever say why he picked 42 to be the answer?  

[Ollaolas]

Douglas Adams

The answer to this is very simple. It was a joke. It had to be a number, an ordinary, smallish number, and I chose that one. Binary representations, base thirteen, Tibetan monks are all complete nonsense. I sat at my desk, stared into the garden and thought '42 will do'. I typed it out. End of story.

3nodding  

[squidocaster]

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=509204
...thats why.  

[Ollaolas]

squidocaster

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=509204
...thats why.

There are many other ways you can get 42.

For example:

(1+5) x (8+1) =/= 42, right?

But what if Deep Thought messed up on his orders of operation and used

1 + 5 x 8 + 1?  

[wakusei]

This website gives a variety of answers.

Although what Ollaolas posted is the true reason.  

[Electric_Tok]

O.o cool.....  

[MERCURY16]

what is the meaning to life the universe and everything? 42. why? Idon't know. Who told you? the dolphins did. when? right before they left and said goodbye and thanks for all the fish.  

[Daska]

Ollaolas

Douglas Adams

The answer to this is very simple. It was a joke. It had to be a number, an ordinary, smallish number, and I chose that one. Binary representations, base thirteen, Tibetan monks are all complete nonsense. I sat at my desk, stared into the garden and thought '42 will do'. I typed it out. End of story.

3nodding

3nodding  

[HotSoupBurns]

Douglas Adams

The answer to this is very simple. It was a joke. It had to be a number, an ordinary, smallish number, and I chose that one. Binary representations, base thirteen, Tibetan monks are all complete nonsense. I sat at my desk, stared into the garden and thought '42 will do'. I typed it out. End of story.

I feel so complete now lol  

[Little Miss Eihwaz]

How different would the world be if Douglas Adams had selected, for instance, 45, I wonder.  

[Lupe_Oceana]

Well, sometimes I do wish it was 29... this won't make much sense to you guys because it's a massive in-joke between me and my friends involving a T-shirt, a video camera, and my brother's ability to do funny voices. The end result is that the number 29 is now incredibly hilarious.

But 42 is really the perfect funny number. Because certain numbers... usually ones that end in "0" or "5" just aren't funny for some reason.  

[Zoutout]

I think it's entertaining that the actual "Ultimate Question to the Life the Universe and Everything" was mentioned regularly in the books (i.e. "Pick a number")  

[Beka_Valentine]

[~Voodoo Child~]

How different would the world be if Douglas Adams had selected, for instance, 45, I wonder.

Well, the actual question of Life, the Universe, and Everything would also be different. Or maybe it wouldn't. After all, the question Arthur figured out by a rather, shall we say, unscientific method was probably incorrect. When you multiply six by nine, you don't get forty-two. So maybe if the question is completely random, it would still be the same if the answer were changed. 3nodding  

[UltraF]

It wouldn't sound as good with another number anyway. 42 kind of rolls off the tounge quite easily.  

[Achates]

What if, it all doesn't make any sense at all.
Considering that Douglas Adams was professing atheist.
Perhaps he does a practical joke with gods, the universum and everything. wink

(I hope that sentences make sense, my english is worsening.)