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Question: Why do people say the meaning of life is 42!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
It's from a book called The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy!. You should read it or watch the movie!.
Hope you like it!
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At the end of the second book, "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe," of the five book trilogy (yes, that's intentional) starting with "The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams, The characters find out that the Ultimate Question of the meaning of Life the Universe and Everything is "What do you get when you multiply six by nine!?" The answer given is "Forty-two!." There you have it!.

The books are all very fun, quick reads and I highly recommend them to anyone who can appreciate a dry sense of humor!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's from the Douglas Adams' novel, "The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy!."

A super-intelligent, highly advanced society had learned everything there is to know!.!.!.except the answer to the question of "life, the universe, and everything!." To tackle this, they built a powerful, city-sized computer called Deep Thought to figure it out!.

After thinking about the issue for several million years, Deep Thought told them that the answer was 42!. He told them that the reason that the answer doesn't make sense is because they never really understood what the question was to begin with!.

To help understand the question, Deep Thought helped them design a more powerful, planet-sized computer!. This computer was earth, and the entire point of the planet was for the intelligent beings on it to come up with the question!.

It ran for billions of years!. Five minutes before the program was finished running, the planet was demolished to make way for a pan-galactic highway!.

Adams later said that he picked the answer pretty much at random!. He wanted a small, inocculous number, and just picked 42!. There wasn't a process behind it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I believe it comes from the story "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" which is a non-sensical joke book!. It is a random answer with no specific reason for it having been stated:
Here is an excerpt explaining this in an interview with the books writer:

Douglas Adams was asked many times during his career why he chose the number 42!. Many theories were proposed, but he rejected them all!. On November 3, 1993, he gave an answer on alt!.fan!.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!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because it is!


The reference is to a comedy sketch from a TV show from the UK

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

In the sketch a super computer is asked to calculate the meaning of life and eventually comes up with 42Www@QuestionHome@Com

The novel 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' used a super-super computer to find out the meaning of life!. What they didn't think to do was to ask it the REAL question!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

it comes from the hitchikers guide to the galaxy (a great book and film) 42 is the answer to the ultimute question!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

its a line from 'The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy'
The actual meaning of life is to live long enough until you get laid and then die!. Well thats more like the point of life!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's the answer to Life, the Universe and EverythingWww@QuestionHome@Com

There's a series of books by Douglas Adams called The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

its from the hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy!.!.!.!. read the book, supposed to be really good! Www@QuestionHome@Com

You obviously didn't understand the original question!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Watch the movie "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" then you'll understand!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Its from a book "HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy" which then became a movie of the same name!. Its a funny book and movie, you should read/watch themWww@QuestionHome@Com

read or watch "the hitchhicker's guide to the galaxy"Www@QuestionHome@Com

its from a movie/book The Idiot's Guide To The GalaxyWww@QuestionHome@Com

Because they read books by "Douglas Adams"!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I thought it was 23!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's from some very dumb old people's movie- it's like an inside joke for old people!. Www@QuestionHome@Com