A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42
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I'm not familiar with Pratchett's work :o
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
It's main purpose is to show that a lot of human activity is just plain ridiculous, something it does with great success. Other than that it is extremely funny and a very good and entertaining read. I have all his works and don't regret it for a second.
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Interesting article in today's Code Project Daily News: "For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42". See [For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42 - Scientific American](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/for-math-fans-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-number-42/). Why is 42 such a big deal for the mathematicians and other so called philosophers? This article takes it all in, almost. What is the answer to: "The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”. I have always heard the answer as "to die". Then, someone had the intelligence to "two dice", each having one to six dots on each side. Adding up the dots on both dice gives the sum of 42. Maybe not complex math, but overthinking and recontextualizing the problem to get the magic number.
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Interesting article in today's Code Project Daily News: "For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42". See [For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42 - Scientific American](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/for-math-fans-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-number-42/). Why is 42 such a big deal for the mathematicians and other so called philosophers? This article takes it all in, almost. What is the answer to: "The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”. I have always heard the answer as "to die". Then, someone had the intelligence to "two dice", each having one to six dots on each side. Adding up the dots on both dice gives the sum of 42. Maybe not complex math, but overthinking and recontextualizing the problem to get the magic number.
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Interesting article in today's Code Project Daily News: "For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42". See [For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42 - Scientific American](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/for-math-fans-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-number-42/). Why is 42 such a big deal for the mathematicians and other so called philosophers? This article takes it all in, almost. What is the answer to: "The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”. I have always heard the answer as "to die". Then, someone had the intelligence to "two dice", each having one to six dots on each side. Adding up the dots on both dice gives the sum of 42. Maybe not complex math, but overthinking and recontextualizing the problem to get the magic number.
All these answers so far, and nobody mentions that Douglas Adams himself had apparently said that 42p was simply the cost of a pint at his local pub at the time he wrote the book. Heard this decades ago. No idea whether it's true or not. Just relaying what I know. [Edit] A quick Google search brought back a [BBC page](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk\_news/magazine/7287255.stm) from over 12 years ago with someone making the same claim. Of course, that's not any more authoritative than what I just mentioned...
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Interesting article in today's Code Project Daily News: "For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42". See [For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42 - Scientific American](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/for-math-fans-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-number-42/). Why is 42 such a big deal for the mathematicians and other so called philosophers? This article takes it all in, almost. What is the answer to: "The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”. I have always heard the answer as "to die". Then, someone had the intelligence to "two dice", each having one to six dots on each side. Adding up the dots on both dice gives the sum of 42. Maybe not complex math, but overthinking and recontextualizing the problem to get the magic number.
I thought that it was neat that the ascii code 42 is the star * What with the book being about galaxies and stuff, and being one of the best books ever, whichever planet you are based on. Andy
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Interesting article in today's Code Project Daily News: "For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42". See [For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42 - Scientific American](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/for-math-fans-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-number-42/). Why is 42 such a big deal for the mathematicians and other so called philosophers? This article takes it all in, almost. What is the answer to: "The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”. I have always heard the answer as "to die". Then, someone had the intelligence to "two dice", each having one to six dots on each side. Adding up the dots on both dice gives the sum of 42. Maybe not complex math, but overthinking and recontextualizing the problem to get the magic number.
Sorry to respond to myself, but #42 is the number in Jackie Robinson's Jersey. He was the first black man to play in the white baseball league. The next question is why or how did he get the number 42?
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All these answers so far, and nobody mentions that Douglas Adams himself had apparently said that 42p was simply the cost of a pint at his local pub at the time he wrote the book. Heard this decades ago. No idea whether it's true or not. Just relaying what I know. [Edit] A quick Google search brought back a [BBC page](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk\_news/magazine/7287255.stm) from over 12 years ago with someone making the same claim. Of course, that's not any more authoritative than what I just mentioned...
I will upvote that.
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BURN THE HERETIC!
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
Don't be like that, I've always considered you as a Brutha :D
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
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It's main purpose is to show that a lot of human activity is just plain ridiculous, something it does with great success. Other than that it is extremely funny and a very good and entertaining read. I have all his works and don't regret it for a second.
fd9750 wrote:
a very good and entertaining read
What makes you think I read? :laugh:
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
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Interesting article in today's Code Project Daily News: "For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42". See [For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42 - Scientific American](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/for-math-fans-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-number-42/). Why is 42 such a big deal for the mathematicians and other so called philosophers? This article takes it all in, almost. What is the answer to: "The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”. I have always heard the answer as "to die". Then, someone had the intelligence to "two dice", each having one to six dots on each side. Adding up the dots on both dice gives the sum of 42. Maybe not complex math, but overthinking and recontextualizing the problem to get the magic number.
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When all Douglas actually did was gaze out of his window at home and thought of the number 42 - lots of people have been trying to read something deep and meaningful into it ever since.
"We can't stop here - this is bat country" - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
pkfox wrote:
When all Douglas actually did was gaze out of his window at home and thought of the number 42 - lots of people have been trying to read something deep and meaningful into it ever since.
Ah, but who (or what) put "42" into his head...
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Interesting article in today's Code Project Daily News: "For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42". See [For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42 - Scientific American](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/for-math-fans-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-number-42/). Why is 42 such a big deal for the mathematicians and other so called philosophers? This article takes it all in, almost. What is the answer to: "The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”. I have always heard the answer as "to die". Then, someone had the intelligence to "two dice", each having one to six dots on each side. Adding up the dots on both dice gives the sum of 42. Maybe not complex math, but overthinking and recontextualizing the problem to get the magic number.
If you haven't heard the original BBC radio play, its well worth a listen. Looks like it's on youtube!
