[xhedley]

But why did Douglas Adams think of 42? My theory is that it is from "times table" memorisation questions.

Back in the day in the UK we learned "times tables" at school as a verbal by rote memorisation technique. For each "times table" you memorised up to "times twelve". And then the teacher might ask you in class the answer for a table you were supposed to have learned.

First one to learn was "two twos are four, three twos are six... twelve twos are twenty four". (I'm writing out the numbers rather than using numerals because this was specifically a spoken recitation).

Then you learned the three times table "two threes are six, three threes are nine, ... twelve threes are thirty six".

The four times table is a selection of the two times table up to "six fours are twenty four" and then the next member "seven fours" is an easy addition from 24 to 28.

The five times table is obvious.

The six times table is a selection of the three times table up till "six sixes are thirty six".

Say that (emboldened by the obviousness of the five times table) you didn't do your homework and verbally memorise the six times table.

And then the teacher asks you what are "seven sixes". You are acutely aware that this isn't in your verbal memory (as it would have been if you had done your homework as instructed). You add 6 to "six sixes" which I calculate as "use 4 to get up to 40 then the other 2 are the units so 42".

You say "seven sixes are forty two". There was a one second panic while you worked this out instead of just reciting the rote memorised fact.

But it's the right answer.

Tension then resolution - that is why 42 is the answer to the ultimate question.

[bellyfullofbac]

3rd reply (4th item in the thread) from the man himself:

https://groups.google.com/g/alt.fan.douglas-adams/c/595nPukE...

> 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.

[xhedley]

I was hypothesising the subconscious reason why Douglas Adams would think "42 will do". I find 42 funny for the conscious reasons I stated.

It's perfectly possible this did not apply to Douglas Adams. But a hypothesis around "eek I didn't do my homework but I winged it" seemed plausible for him.

[dtgriscom]

The question was revealed to be "what do you get when you multiply 6 * 9." This is, of course, 42, when you have thirteen fingers. (Mr. Adams denied this, but clearly he was being controlled by the Illuminati.)

[me_me_me]

Stephen Fry knows. And from what I heard 42 is probably close to meaningless. Or a point that its meaningless is a meaning in itself.