Answer To The Ultimate Question - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - BBC

[@kraigbailey3321]

On April 29, 2005 at the Disney El Cap theater in Hollywood, I attended the first showing of the film version of H2G2. I had a wonderful conversation with an older gentleman who said he was part of the original H2G2 radio broadcast cast. He mentioned that he asked Douglas Adams why the answer to life, the universe and everything was 42. Adams told him that if you count the # of dots on a pair of dice, you will see there are 42- and life is just a roll of the dice.

[@vtancredi1717]

That is brilliant! never heard that before. Also ties in with Douglas Adams being an athiest.

[@dveneky1212]

42 likes

[@Murray-wk3hz]

Diceman in a great book, up there with Johnathan Livingston Seagull and Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

[@marvinthemartian6788]

Roll the bones

[@averageeclairenjoyer3010]

So, the mice were on to something when they first proposed "What's six by seven?" as The Ultimate Question? You know, because opposite sides on dice always add up to seven and there are six such pairs on the 2d6?

[@dnomyarnostaw]

"You're not going to like it ... you're REALLY not going to like it"

[@Gandalf_the_Fey]

42 likes

[@TheMr2122]

Having spent my entire working life as a programmer (now retired), I think this very neatly sums up the whole systems development process perfectly. Although perhaps exaggerated, users never know what they want, so programmers have to guess the solution!

[@magicmulder]

I once had a project manager whose MO literally was “just do what you think is required, and I’ll tell you whether I like it when you’re done”. Sounds awful but the one project we worked on ended up running for a decade with zero issues (and he changed very little about the things I did).

[@jorgepeterbarton]

It reminds me of fundamental maths constants. Like why is eulers number or pi just some seemingly random seed that goes on infinitely, why do simple equations produce a mandelbrot set? Why does conways game of life produce complex turing complete organic complexity from two rules. Maybe.. its fractal, that complexity can arise from almost mundanity.

[@cityman1111]

42 equals 101010 in binary. Seen on the wall going into the planet Magrathea.

[@fivish]

As I retired senior systems analyst I agree that the users who specify their requirements in vague terms dont get exactly what they expected as its often not technically possible. You tell them but they dont believe you.

[@rizzochuenringe669]

Exactly my experience! That's why I never wanted to know the exact wishes of my customers otherwise they would always come up with the most hilarious expectations and crazy side effects. Let it be my job to define the results, they'll like it.

[@robg521]

Marvin...”I know the question” Everyone...” you do?” Marvin... “it’s written in the Earth Man’s brainwave patterns” Arthur... “you can actually read my mind?” Marvin... “yes” Arthur ... “and ???” Marvin... “I’m amazed that you can live in anything that small”

[@olgaschegoleva8492]

In numerology every number combination equals a sinhle number. Hence, 42= 4+2 4+2 = 6. In Kabbalah, 666 is the number of MAN( 6 protons, 6 neutrons 6 electrons). 661 is the “ number of the Beast”, contrary to popular belief it is not 666 but 661. Hence , given that 42=6 and 6 is the number of man , the convo makes a lot more sense now, isn’t it? LOL.

[@aconfusedlacroix3965]

@@olgaschegoleva8492 k

[@pmacamfg7655]

@@olgaschegoleva8492 So 666 is a carbon atom, and 661 is a high energy cosmic ray carbon nucleus at +5, probable from a white dwarf supernova.

[@petevan8942]

And no one ever finds out from Marvin the answer....no wonder he's so depressed

[@dallassegno]

5 is the number of man. this is why numerology is stupid. 5 fingers 5 appendages 5 butts. gfy

[@alexandrealexandre53]

In ASCII language, the most basic computer software, '42′ is the designation for an asterisk. So, when Deep Thought was asked what the true meaning of life was, it answered as you might think a computer would - 42, in other words, “Anything you want it to be!”

[@tropicheist6347]

42 thumbs up

[@johnforbes8282]

RISK - the board game RISK has 42 territories. Alla the answer is Risk

[@joesomers3949]

In programming the asterisk is mostly use as a wildcard which means the meaning of life could be anything.

[@zaphodbeeblebrox4574]

ASCII is NOT softwre, it is a code and even at that it is not the most basic !

[@aacallison1535]

Makes digital sense.

[@ashroskell]

The incomparable penmanship of Douglas Adams there; a genuine genius (a word too often abused but worthy in this case) taken from us too soon, proving the axiom that, “Only the good die young.” We can only begin to guess at what wonders his brilliantly satirical mind would have conjured for us if only he’d lived longer. He was in his early 40’s, I believe, when struck down by a massive heart attack. A terrible loss to the world. Especially to those who love comedy, science, science fiction and grotesque parody. RIP dear boy. RIP.

[@dayegilharno4988]

:) I get the sentiment, but then again... Age has a way of creeping up on us - I would have liked to see Douglas Adams gettng unimaginative and bitter as little as watching James Dean getting fat and wrinkly!

[@DavidHRyall]

If he does old, he would have lived long enough to become the villain - and no longer good 😂

[@collegeman1988]

Douglas Adams was 49 at the time of his death.

[@LawtonDigital]

42 was Adam's age when his daughter was born (many years after he wrote the book).

[@philipdalton1000s]

It may not have been coincidental when you consider that babies are not really brought by the stork.

[@Thunderlord1738]

@@philipdalton1000s How else are they brought?

[@philipdalton1000s]

Try Googling sexual reproduction, there's a fairly simple answer. Although maybe you're not going to like it.

[@Thunderlord1738]

@@philipdalton1000s D:

[@plebulus]

It was 42 minutes into the original movie (in the original)

[@Ysckemia]

i so enjoy the english accent, especially when they say "forty twooo???!" with that precious tone of voice :D

[@Life_42]

Lol! 42 can also be written as 42.0

[@Puppy_Puppington]

Life = 42 and also as 42.00000000000000000

[@wesleywarsmith1113]

So important it is and was that they had a man In the background of the remake do the same.

[@Ysckemia]

@@wesleywarsmith1113 damn! i need to watch the movie again :o (and in original version, maybe they cut it out in the french dubbing, because i don't remember hearing it..)

[@wesleywarsmith1113]

@@Ysckemia 1:52

[@LordZontar]

"IT WAS A DIFFICULT ASSIGNMENT."

[@leighthomas6798]

7.5 millions years worth

[@PaiSAMSEN]

*FOURTY TWO?*

[@primtones]

Somehow, this scene is much funnier in the book, with Adams' comedic timing and narration.

[@magicmulder]

Especially when DT enumerates all the other great computers and shows his contempt for them. 😂

[@bonglesnodkins329]

@@magicmulder Although that was before he became a total convert to the microcomputer, becoming an evangelist for the Apple Mac in particular.

[@Wellch]

Say 42 in a funny voice.

[@SecularFelinist]

They played this on PBS when I was little, and I loved it so much.

[@vtc8570]

Great scene. I remember laughing out loud when I first watched it. Now that I'm older, it still brings on a chuckle, but with a bit of a sad twist.

[@zapkvr]

So you never heard the radio show then?

[@vtc8570]

@@zapkvr wasn't even aware there was one. I remember watching these episodes on pbs when I was a kid, but now that you've mentioned it, I think I'll look for them online. Thx!

[@davidlaw689]

So you never heard of the books ?

[@sorelsuareztube]

The voice of the computer in the Audiobook is the most brilliant Ive ever heard

[@magicmulder]

There’s a great sci-fi short story - whose name escapes me - where the final insight was that to formulate a question, you already have to know a lot about the answer. The plot was similar to here, folks built (or found) the ultimate computer and kept asking it questions like “what is death” and “what is the meaning of life”. Its answer to the first one was “I can’t explain an anthropomorphism”.

[@ЯнРоманенко-д8г]

"Ask a foolish question" by Robert Sheckley, perhaps?

[@magicmulder]

@@ЯнРоманенко-д8г Thanks so much, I've been looking for that for ages. That is indeed the one. You don't happen to know two more short stories I"ve been searching for? One was called "The Last Weapon" I believe, and was about some scalpers on Mars finding a weapons arsenal the Martians left behind when they died out. The other was some supernatural story where demons declared "God is dead", and the main villain was a demon called Lucifuge Rofocale.

[@ЯнРоманенко-д8г]

@@magicmulder First is indeed Last Weapon by the same author And I don't know anything about second }:c

[@magicmulder]

@@ЯнРоманенко-д8г Man you are saving me today. Thank you so much!

[@RIXRADvidz]

Asimov wrote ''The Last Question'' over the course of several billions of years life merges with a computer with the ''Last Question'' yet to be answered, no one to tell, the computer demonstrates, ''Let There Be Light'' and a New Universe is Born.

[@mobiustrip1400]

Best book I've ever read! The movie does it no justice

[@stevemurray5606]

I've seen this many times over the years and my favorite line is the way he says "tricky".

[@RobleViejo]

Tree'ke

[@paulwilson7234]

Brilliant answer.

[@psychoangus]

I use this line in work meetings often.

[@contessa.adella]

The majesty of this performance and its epic booming delivery far far outshines the cartoonish equivalent in the HGTTG reboot

[@lesigh1749]

He was the black Guardian in Doctor who around the same time.

[@Tailspin80]

I had the 12 radio programmes taped and listened to them endlessly. The TV series was a big letdown, but isn’t that always the way? Later I read the four books. They are very good.

[@Mingo_Slickgrin]

The reboot was very well done too though. The movie was surprisingly good for a movie based on a show based on a book based on a radio play!

[@AlexJones-ue1ll]

I think the most ironic part of it is, that upon first activation Deep Thought already said, that he would only be the second most powerful computer and that the one that was to follow him would be even more powerful. So Deep Thought already calculated what was going to happen even before the question was asked of him and he had to calculate the answer.

[@zapkvr]

Not irony

[@dayegilharno4988]

:( Too bad it's simply not possible to give this comment any more likes, for obvious reasons...

[@guitarslim56]

It's a nod to the Bible, how John Baptist referred to the Savior who would come after him. Just a literary illusion, nothing more.

[@whirled_peas]

@@guitarslim56 allusion.

[@cerealdude890]

@@zapkvr it’s dramatic irony

[@cherilynnfisher5658]

Even after all these many years, this still cracks me up!

[@amigalemming]

These guys look like being from Monty Python.

[@hellohovarju]

yes, Eric Idle and Terry Jones, but no

[@britishhedgehog]

Not Terry Jones. That's Michael Palin

[@stevelane1956]

​@@britishhedgehog Majikthise & Groom Fondle!

[@stevelane1956]

@@britishhedgehog Neither Palin or Jones.

[@JamesKingsleyQPatriotOrg]

its called BEING BRITISH,,

[@mcradu9261]

As 42 is the ASCII code for * which is the wildcard for everything and anything... nicely done... :)

[@dnomyarnostaw]

As Douglas Adams himself said repeatedly, "42 is NOT significant, I made it up, I f'ing MADE IT UP!"

[@trynnallen]

@@dnomyarnostaw Yeah...but being that * is the proverbial "any" key when booting early PC/Amiga/Commodore games and his love of all things computer...it makes sense. Of course if you wanna take it in the vein of the philosophers and keep bickering about it on the chat shows. I'm up for it. We start small, and work our way up to the major networks. It'll either be brilliant or dull as hell.

[@dnomyarnostaw]

@@trynnallen It certainly wasn't the "booting" key in IBM PC, Tandy, CPM or DOS controlled computer. And it wasn't on the Amiga or Commodore either! Considering that Douglas should be the expert on the significance of 42, it boggles the mind how people make sh.t up!

[@trynnallen]

@@dnomyarnostaw Sure was: LOAD "*" 8,1 used something similar on the Atari 400 & 800 too.

[@dnomyarnostaw]

@@trynnallen A command line ascii character is not a boot key .

[@ellisg5623]

I was watching this and the I checked my battery... 42%

[@fireplace8352]

The Epic E same

[@visa8408]

Lol me too

[@RichardGillard321]

The Epic E Wow! How Spooky is that!

[@lRlElD]

this made more sense than the video.

[@shanecolby547]

It’s a sign

[@STho205]

This was the most Pythonesque skit in the story. #2 was the sensitive cops shooting at them.

[@jonathanmichaeldavis9394]

I'm in a meeeeean mood!

[@davidwise1302]

To my knowledge, Douglas Adams was never directly related to Monty Python. He was a writer and head writer for Doctor Who back in the day (ie, before 1990 and not a part of the 2000's revival). At most, I'd think that he was tapping into the same British humour environment as Monty Python was, shared social experiences and all that, what?

[@AlanCanon2222]

@@jonathanmichaeldavis9394 It isn't easy being a cop!

[@AlanCanon2222]

@@davidwise1302 He was, however, in the Cambridge Footlights, though way after the Pythons were.

[@BraveApollo42]

@@davidwise1302 Douglas Adams was close to Graham Chapman and worked with him on some projects, but these projects were not broadcast ... one of these is a program called "out of the trees" You can search for it on KZbin. As for me, I got to know Adams through this program, after that I looked for his work and watched this series. Adams is also credited with writing one of Monty Python episodes. I don’t know how true this is, But I remember reading that on imdb. ** And Excuse the bad language, I'm using Google Translate to help me write this..

[@Noonycurt]

Today is my birthday. I am now - (wait for it) - 42!

[@leonardjanke2855]

Thats impossible you wouldv be older than the universe if that were true

[@LeftLib]

But what does that mean?

[@bruceappleby6222]

ROTFLOL

[@HugeK]

he's a time traveller

[@CraigKostelecky]

42! = 1.4 x 10^51

[@Scyllax]

The voice of the computer is Valentine Dyall’s, The Fourth and Fifth Doctor’s enemy, The Dark Guardian.

[@ClunkerSlim]

I came to the comments just for this.

[@skadoink1736]

I seem to recognise the voice as from the guardian from the Blakes 7 episode City at the Edge of the World/Forever?? not sure - but I think Forever is a Star Trek OS episode tho, so probably Edge of the World /Edit, yup, just checked and it is him, and it is City at the Edge of the World - always like that episode, and ofc Colin Baker in that is also the 6th Doctor

[@raksh9]

The BLACK Guardian.

[@AlanCanon2222]

He's in The Haunting (1963) too, playing Mr Dudley, the caretaker of Hill House (with a New England accent, though the movie was filmed in England).

[@girlygirl642]

Harry Potter finds out he’s a wizard on page 42 js

[@alloca109]

So?

[@swordnoob9402]

Coincidence I think not!

[@ShrekWallBee]

PAGE 42 LOL

[@Zaminaki]

10 to the power of 6969, against

[@tiffygne18]

Lawd

[@converse3670]

LIFE IS THE ANSWER ITSELF, YOU ARE LIVING IT!

[@SamuelBlack84]

How did the universe come into being?

[@wilsonj4705]

If the voice of Deep Thought sounds familiar it's the voice of Valentine Dyall who also played The Black Guardian on Dr. Who

[@leebennett1821]

Yes that's him

[@joshuawilson3388]

He was the best villain

[@chippysteve4524]

RIP Magic Thighs and Broomfondle. They got us where we are today.

[@IslandForestPlains]

3:18: "A computer that can calculate the answer to the ultimate question"? Shouldn it be "the question to the ultimate answer" as they just got the answer as 42?

[@Elso310]

i noticed that

[@Akario3]

Because it can calculate it,it means it also knows the question or finds it by going backwards.

[@JustDoIt12131]

It wouldn't make sense anyway. If he doesn't know the question how could he know the answer? xD Just nonsense.

[@nmatavka]

@@JustDoIt12131 Just ask the quantum computer nerds that. You can totally have the answer, but not the question that the answer actually answers.

[@JustDoIt12131]

@@nmatavka You can have infinite answers for infinite questions, but you cannot know which one of those is the answer to the "ultimate question" if you don't know what the "ultimate question" is. Furthermore, the idea "ultimate" in that concept is subjective and therefore there are as many "ultimate questions" as thinkers.

[@dlee645]

I miss Douglas Adams.

[@alamandrax]

Dlee645 you just need a better scope.

[@johnnyfavorite1194]

Dlee645 You hardly knew him, Mate.

[@SleepyNose3141]

Dlee645 I dont care

[@fatdude2763]

Jeez, its a lil harsh, dont you think?

[@bestbotreview]

Eve n I know what he means by that

[@judgeboony2695]

Eric Idle gave so much sass when he asked what the question was lol.

[@kramrollin69]

I think you will find that is definitely Not Eric Idle, It is just another British actor of the period. In fact, the sketch is very pythonish....Well, the Chinese and blacks do say all white people look the same.....except the blonde ones, the brown haired ones, the red head ones, the tall ones, the short ones, etc etc. 😆

[@4Nanook]

If you stand in a mirror and make the binary number 4, 0100, on your left hand with fingers up for 1, folded for zero, and 2, 0010 on your right hand, the meaning of this computers answer will make total sense.

[@jayrat321]

what really makes sense is " the celsius temperature of the perfect cup of tea"

[@duncanthomson5564]

@@jayrat321 Luke-warm tea! Disgusting!

[@normanlumhee]

(booming voice of Deep Thought) " ...it will make total sense ...but you're not going to like it" 😆😆

[@Quid34zip]

agreed

[@firstupbestdressed9568]

Ha ha ha...wonderful.x

[@hellobeautiful5225]

Douglas was a huge fan of Monty Python. He wanted to write for them. When you read the dialog with the inflection and timing of the Monty Python boys , it all makes sense, and it’s a lot funnier. Tricky.

[@ethanmillward675]

He actually did write for Monty Python’s Flying Circus

[@nkt1]

He wrote Out of the Trees with Graham Chapman. Roger Brierley, the chap on the right, appeared in it.

[@davidioanhedges]

He wrote for them and appeared in two episodes

[@Kkardemumma]

The greatest story ever told.

[@guitarslim56]

"Ishtar"?

[@Shazam999]

"What do you get when you multiply six by nine?"

[@adamlevine6700]

Not 42.

[@bigsnootis3554]

*In base 13

[@goblincomic4522]

54

[@davimbecil]

"i always said there was something fundamentally wrong with the universe"

[@tomahawkmissile241]

love how the computer is 42 degree prisim that create life based on energy of a computer lol which entails 7 layers inside of it by the 3 bottom , 3 middle and 1 roof boxes during the building go back in time 7 blocks

[@tr7b410]

Knowing your infinite & eternal nature while gathering new information from a different dimension & relaying that information to the supreme being, is why we have taken these rather restrictive bodies.

[@domainofthesun4400]

Valentile Dyall performs the Deep Thought voice with sooooo much relish

[@davidwise1302]

Over two decade ago, there was a very long web page of references to 42 -- I printed it out at the time and it was well over 20 printed pages long. What they left out was: 1. On the X-Files, Fox Muldar's apartment number was 42. 2. Fox Muldar had watched "Plan 9 From Outer Space" 42 times. And it's been so long a time that I forget the rest. Though more than two decades ago there was a newspaper article that the Hubble Constant (which apparently is difficult to nail down) had at one point come up as ... 42.

[@guitarslim56]

I lost 42 seconds of my life reading that post.

[@Klockorino]

1:06 “constable,” she said, “But be gentle.”

[@CallMeCrazyCallMePoor]

I cannot describe how much the reveal of tge next computer floored me the first time I heard it. It isn't just good comedy, it is a fantastic premise.

[@nobodynevermind583]

'Though I don't think you're going to like it..." 0:54 Bwahaha! :)

[@speculesgorgoth4055]

46 now went insane about 2015 or so dont remember exactly when it started but 2015 was when things started to get really weird

[@ndhammer]

Douglas Adams wrote a few episodes of Classic Doctor Who.

[@reginaldperiwinkle]

"I speak of none but the computer that is to come after me, a computer whose merest operational parameters I am not worthy to calculate". This is a biblical allusion to the Gospel of Mark. John the Baptist speaks about Jesus as follows: "After me is coming someone more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie".

[@carminemurray6624]

Believe it or not, many others actually knew 🤔 that was a messianic reference or did you think you were the only one to realize this 🤔 ?

[@reginaldperiwinkle]

@@carminemurray6624 I figure most people didn't catch the reference, but that some people did.

[@chasecollins3263]

Never knew that, thanks for the cool fact

[@cedricgist7614]

I saw "The Hitchhiker's Guide..." a few years ago and I believe Dame Helen Mirren was the voice of Deep Thought in the movie. I didn't know what a phenomenon Douglas Adams' work was: I probably still don't appreciate how popular it is. Started as a radio program? Am familiar with a KZbin channel, "Thoughty Two," on which I recently viewed a segment on why we gravitate toward conspiracy theories. Good segment. And for some reason I woke up pondering the name "Thoughty Two" and wondering if it was somehow related to the "Adams Answer." I didn't think "32" was the answer, so I came a-searching. Interestingly, "42" was the number Jackie Robinson wore as the African-American who "broke" the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Don't know why I didn't make that connection before. In honor of Robinson's achievement and distinguished career, Baseball retired his number on all 30 current teams. Also, the "Numberphile" channel does a good treatment of "42." Odd, the things that occupy our minds....

[@magicmulder]

I really hope some large streaming service turns all 5 books into a great series. Take Martin Sheen again, let Sir Ian McKellen play Slartibartfast, David Tennant as Ford, Ben Stiller as Zaphod… a dream.

[@philipdalton1000s]

The thing about the Sinclair ZX Spectrum is that it didn't attempt to answer questions it couldn't really comprehend the meaning of. If you'd asked it what the answer to life, the universe and everything was it would've just displayed "Syntax error" on your TV screen.

[@K-o-R]

"Syntax error" isn't actually a ZX Spectrum error message though. You'd get a flashing ? cursor, or a red flashing cursor if you were in 128K mode. Maybe "A Invalid argument, 40:2" if it was part of a program.

[@Loganberrybunny]

Given this is a BBC series, a BBC Micro would do the trick. Though it's surprisingly tricky to get a "Syntax error" message if you don't know the computer. Just typing gibberish simply returns "Mistake". (Mind you, this is a machine that has "Silly" as a genuine error message.)

[@philipdalton1000s]

@@K-o-R I used to have a 16K Spectrum and "Syntax error" used to come up on the TV screen if you made an error in programming. I think basically the idea behind the story of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is that no matter how advanced computers become they can never be expected to work something out that a human wouldn't be able to.

[@LDixon007]

Starring: Simon Jones , David Dixon, Mark Wing-Davey, Sandra Dickinson, David Learner, Stephen Moore. Narrated by: Peter Jones

[@r.f.switch5847]

It has now been 42 years since the original radio drama first aired. 10/12/1979-10/12/2021

[@nekocalico454]

Can't believe you guys uploaded this, where can I watch the full episode?

[@Albert_Herring]

On daylimotion

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

The question is: What do you get when you multiply six by nine? 54... And there you have it. The universe is fundamentally flawed.

[@peNdantry]

... now try it in base 13 ;)

[@axjagfilms]

“THE EARTH!!!” *(first note of Freebird plays)*

[@jackal59]

I love that both the costumes and most of the set are made of cheap silver mylar.

[@RichardGillard321]

How many roads must a man walk down, before they call him a man? The answer is 42. Thank you Peter, Paul and Mary. Thank you so very much!

[@izzydoodle4091]

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

[@tay-basswalker3964]

Wow 1:42 pm when I clicked on this lol

[@artiek1177]

I was looking at these two actors and I was just envisioning Eric Idle and Terry Jones doing this.

[@masked321321]

This really is perfect. This was written long before people were saying string theory is a theory of too much. (We currently have 10 to power of 500 possible solutions to string theory)

[@unclerabbit254]

It shall be called "The Earth!" Oh, what a dull name?

[@williamscherer9803]

The computer is the Earth, whattttt. I've heard that our time on Earth is Heaven. It's already super dope to live and to appreciate all that you have, when you appreciate everything everything becomes perfect like in Heaven.

[@davidpeters6536]

Douglas was a genius. Between Deep Thought and Marvin we have a glimpse of the near future. Of course there's a good chance we will see Arnold Schwarzenegger too.

[@kevinstroud3472]

I think this is actually really deep, Douglas Adam’s being a programmer he would have known the ASCII character for 42 was the ‘*’. And since the start of programming it’s basically been the thing that denotes everything and has no meaning unless you give it one…

[@LtPowers]

Adams thought that interpretation was clever but insisted he picked 42 only because it was funny.

[@52flyingbicycles]

He picked it at random

[@nicholaskehler9169]

If you do the mathematical equation life the universe and everything substituting the number of characters for the words in the equation and treating 'the' as a separation between terms and treating 'and' as a term of addition you get (life=4)(universe=8)+(everything=10) following order of operations 4*8+10 4*8=32 32+10=42 Technically speaking the only question, the computer had was the mathematical one it could infer, and it just happens that the answer to that is 42.

[@sidneymonteiro3670]

You really didn't read the book, did you? It is 42 in base 13.

[@LtPowers]

@@sidneymonteiro3670 What do you mean? Adams has specifically stated he didn't know that when he came up with the number.

[@BobbyMasteria]

wait a minute, so there was a Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy before The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy ??

[@only257]

❤this was a short lived tv series came out in 1981 only lasted 6 episodes 😊

[@jordanmielbrecht3360]

Much better than the newer film

[@msspieler]

Could it be that this scene was staged in allusion to the audience scene in in "Wizard of Oz"? The green gleam, the dust, trembling of the ground (is there one in WoO ?), the powerful voice and the subservient questioners?

[@Mark73]

The psychiatrists didn't want the program to complete, because if the galaxy had both the ultimate question and answer to life, the universe and everything, no one would need them any more (same as the philosophers that tried to stop the answer from being given). That's why the Vogon captain's psychiatrist encouraged him to destroy the Earth just before the program completed. They got more into that in the books than the TV show.

[@johnsensebe3153]

42 is indeed an asterisk in ASCII, but if you interpret it as hexadecimal, "42" becomes the capital letter B. Perhaps the Ultimate Question is multiple choice.

[@BigZ971]

In binary 42 is also 101010

[@MrGreensweightHist]

In another of the books, Adams goes on to explain that if the universe were ever understood, it would cease to exist and be replaced by something even more bizarre. There is no question for 42. That's the point of 42. To illustrate that even bothering to question it is irrational and futile

[@MrGreensweightHist]

@@BigZ971 No it isn't. 1010 = 10 You're missing a 10... 101010 = 42

[@BigZ971]

@@MrGreensweightHist yes you're correct

[@Tailspin80]

It reminds me of the short story “Answer” by Fredric Brown, where they build a giant computer, ask it if there’s a god and get the answer “Now there is a god”. Sends a chill down your spine!

[@mikekrier1465]

I just turned 42 right now as for 55 minutes ago, so I came here to get the url to post on my fb.

[@MrSkeptik-z5r]

I listened to the 1974 Radio 4 , still makes me laugh out loud.

[@waliurrashid1133]

The number 42 is, in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything", calculated by an enormous supercomputer named Deep Thought over a period of 7.5 million years. Unfortunately, no one knows what the question is.

[@mysteryturtle9291]

waliur rashid no one remembers the question

[@fuzimuf]

waliur rashid, what question?

[@mysteryturtle9291]

fuzimuf the question the answer is for

[@fuzimuf]

To

[@lebroy1196]

What do you get if you multiply 6 times 7?

[@mikebasil4832]

How could Deep Thought work out the answer without being able to work out the question to begin with? It might have been a calculated trick to help make 42 systematically more understandable. The best part was of course that we had the Earth. The worst parts were the Vogons and the Golgafrinchans.

[@tehs3raph1m]

Mike Basil considering the question ended up being "how many roads must a man walk down?"

[@omp199]

The Earth never revealed the final results of its calculation, because just before it was due to do so, it was demolished, supposedly to make way for a new hyperspace bypass.

[@camerononeil2266]

tehs3raph1m it isn't actually in the radio series and the books they find out that they can never know the question

[@camerononeil2266]

kasegi Yabu only in the tv series

[@omp199]

Arthur Dent was only part of the ultimate configuration. He wouldn't necessarily have had access to the final output, any more than a randomly chosen fragment of a demolished laptop would necessarily contain the expected output from whatever program was running on that laptop at the time that it was destroyed.

[@RootBoyJim]

It was a Tough Assignment

[@PianoandKeysStudio]

F..HORTY... T..WHOOOWH??? Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years WORK??!!

[@ronaldfinkelstein6335]

Who are the actors in this scene. They look like some of the members of Monty Python...Eric Idle, and Michael Palin...is it them?

[@markkonzerowsky8871]

Valentine Dyall is also famous as the voice of the Black Guardian.

[@garethhayes3470]

Mark Konzerowsky he started off as “the man in Black” on BBC radio back in the ‘50’s . And did ALL sorts of stuff over his long & distinguished career

[@Super_Mario128]

Mark Konzerowsky Norl in Blake's 7 too.

[@Spoomis]

I like this better then the movie's adaption of the scene.

[@KingdomHeartsBrawler]

Same. It's so much grander and thought-provoking while also being funnier.

[@caronstout354]

Legend days that if the Ultimate Question and it's Answer were to exist in the same space-time the Galaxy would collapse and Life would cease to exist...

[@TheNerdCorporation]

Am I the only one getting mad at everyone for not listening more to Marvin since he is the smartest being and computer in the universe and therefore know the question and the answer?

[@princevegeta1542]

My dad named our cat Ford Prefect in 1988. He handed down his collection to me

[@magicmulder]

A good friend of mine named her cat Random Frequentflier Dent, or “Randy” for those in her family who don’t get it.

[@arwelp]

A Ford Prefect actually was our family car in the 1960s…

[@yutehube4468]

This is so much better than the remake, they should have never made a remake.

[@vvebvvaster]

Randomly watching this video exactly 42 minutes away from a conference call this morning.

[@apiny4]

Before it said it, I was like, "42!"

[@daveconrad6562]

Boy don't be spoiling the movie like that, sheesh

[@123fishpond]

How could you be “like” 42 ????

[@johnarizona3820]

The answer has been in front of each throughout life.

[@jackdog06]

I feel the need to reiterate for anyone reading these comments: 42 has no significance whatsoever. Douglas Adams chose the number at random. Likely, he chose a number that just sounded the funniest.

[@TabaRabi3a]

No, this is the kabbalah number of creation, you are a bench of foolish.

[@gengis737]

1:46 their disappointment when they realize that the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything, is not 21.

[@kneekoo]

I'm as old as Douglas Adams' novel, which was published 42 years ago. Coincidence? I think not! 🤣

[@doomer7031]

I watched this video at 00:41(24hrs) and when Deep Thought said 42 the clock changed to 00:42

[@colinmerritt7645]

I didn't see it in the comments. The question is 'What is 9c6?' Before you say 54 though, understand the universe is base 13. Therefore 54 becomes (4x13)+(2x1) = 42.

[@KiaBrinson-v3k]

I don't know, look like they when back time to explore. The scene with the space ship or rocket ship and two actors; was really educational and having a great school. Kia

[@hayleydodds8751]

I’m 42 years old now and mad things are going on in my universe!! What on earth?!!

[@Cybertoy00]

"AND IT SHALL BE CALLED...THE EARTH!" "...What a dull name."

[@3ccdmike]

This also apples ti the question "who is god" If you don't understand that question than the answer will disappoint you. It's not as simple as you think !

[@Life_42]

42 is the same as 42.0

[@Yoctopory]

God is my coffee cup

[@elenahicheva8868]

God is me

[@3ccdmike]

The answer IS everything. It's not one thing.

[@speculesgorgoth4055]

The meaning of life the universe and everything = eternal involuntary servitude

[@michaelpierce4454]

42 represents a comma in computer language, and a comma in computer language can be "anything you want it to be"

[@JustinAnderson1]

Not a comma, but an asterisk (at least in ASCII text), which is often used as a wild card...and that goes along with you statement of it being "anything you want it to be".

[@replica1052]

in an infinite universe it makes sense to catch solar wind - infinite acceleration as opening sequence of an infinite universe where planets are fed with solar wind and stars and galaxies are fed with cosmic radiation (to surrect planets is how to live in a universe - life as center of the universe )

[@replica1052]

to surrect planets involves all dimensions - explore our talents

[@paulhall170]

"What a dull name" You have to wonder what DA was on when he wrote this amazing stuff lol

[@danzin4930]

In Japanese culture, the number 42 is considered unlucky because the numerals when pronounced separately-shi ni (four two)-sound like the word "dying" like a Latin word "mori". The Sutra of 42 Sections is a Buddhist scripture.

[@Chatisthisrealquestionmark]

this is extremely deep and meaningful. does anybody know the truth? like, the psychedelic truth? is this computer... god? is reality as we know it, a dream? a program?