42 and Douglas Adams - Numberphile
video description
Date: 2022-04-08
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 9
Frank
This misses a very important detail about Douglas Adams. Mr. Adams was a computer hobbyist. When you are searching for information and you want to use a -wildcard- search then you prefix or/and suffix a keyword search with a asterisk(-. The ASCII code for the asterisk is 0042. Windows users can prove this by holding down the Ctrl button and typing 0042 and a asterisk will appear when you release the Ctrl button. So if you query a computer for information, the answer to life, the universe and everything is - or 0042. In effect, 42 became an inside joke with a joke.
reply
This misses a very important detail about Douglas Adams. Mr. Adams was a computer hobbyist. When you are searching for information and you want to use a -wildcard- search then you prefix or/and suffix a keyword search with a asterisk(-. The ASCII code for the asterisk is 0042. Windows users can prove this by holding down the Ctrl button and typing 0042 and a asterisk will appear when you release the Ctrl button. So if you query a computer for information, the answer to life, the universe and everything is - or 0042. In effect, 42 became an inside joke with a joke.
reply
Celia
I always wondered why that number was chosen and thought maybe it was the writer's favourite age to be. Some say they are 21 every year after being 21, perhaps 42 is the new 21! The real coming of age after being an adult (supposedly) for 21 years!
Or perhaps it was the least remembered number by children learning times tables and they needed reminding of it.
Or maybe something amazing happens dealing with numbers in base 42?
Or is it that the number 42 to the power of 42 is something special?
reply
I always wondered why that number was chosen and thought maybe it was the writer's favourite age to be. Some say they are 21 every year after being 21, perhaps 42 is the new 21! The real coming of age after being an adult (supposedly) for 21 years!
Or perhaps it was the least remembered number by children learning times tables and they needed reminding of it.
Or maybe something amazing happens dealing with numbers in base 42?
Or is it that the number 42 to the power of 42 is something special?
reply
barticle
I'm currently reading the DNA biography 'The Frood' by Jem Roberts. Before HHGG was a thing, Douglas worked for some while with Graham Chapman from Monty Python but he also spent a few days working as prop buyer for John Cleese who was making training films. One film was about accountancy and they needed a difficult calculation to give an amusing result. It was an easy choice because evidently Cleese and Chapman had already agreed in the past that 42 was the funniest number.
reply
I'm currently reading the DNA biography 'The Frood' by Jem Roberts. Before HHGG was a thing, Douglas worked for some while with Graham Chapman from Monty Python but he also spent a few days working as prop buyer for John Cleese who was making training films. One film was about accountancy and they needed a difficult calculation to give an amusing result. It was an easy choice because evidently Cleese and Chapman had already agreed in the past that 42 was the funniest number.
reply
Mark
Douglas Adams was an unabashed computer nerd & knew a heck of a lot about programming language & coding. In programming, an asterisk is commonly used to translate as -whatever you want it to be-. In ASCII language, the most basic computer software, '42' is the designation for an asterisk. A computer, 'Deep Thought' was asked what the true meaning of life was. It answered as a computer would, '42' = -whatever you want it to be- Genius.
reply
Douglas Adams was an unabashed computer nerd & knew a heck of a lot about programming language & coding. In programming, an asterisk is commonly used to translate as -whatever you want it to be-. In ASCII language, the most basic computer software, '42' is the designation for an asterisk. A computer, 'Deep Thought' was asked what the true meaning of life was. It answered as a computer would, '42' = -whatever you want it to be- Genius.
reply
Archeus
Well you hit on it, but unfortunately you missed what Douglas has said on the record. It's the way British people enunciate the number FawtEEEE Tooooo! Americans don't say it like that. And in the TV series as well as the movie you have to listen for it. And yes Douglas loved the way that sound just rolled off the tongue. He wanted that very British dialect to be on display.
reply
Well you hit on it, but unfortunately you missed what Douglas has said on the record. It's the way British people enunciate the number FawtEEEE Tooooo! Americans don't say it like that. And in the TV series as well as the movie you have to listen for it. And yes Douglas loved the way that sound just rolled off the tongue. He wanted that very British dialect to be on display.
reply
ThePippin89
My favourite fan theory is that 42 is the ASCII code for '-'. In coding '-' is used to mean -whatever you want it to be-.
So the answer to life the universe and everything is whatever you want it to be. Douglas Adams was a computer programmer so there is some possibility to the theory. But I think its just another coincidence. A nice one though!
reply
My favourite fan theory is that 42 is the ASCII code for '-'. In coding '-' is used to mean -whatever you want it to be-.
So the answer to life the universe and everything is whatever you want it to be. Douglas Adams was a computer programmer so there is some possibility to the theory. But I think its just another coincidence. A nice one though!
reply
Patricia
It was said in the movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that the number 42 was pretty important. -
It was said that the number 42 is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything. -
In astrology the planet Jupiter contains the number 42. Jupiter expands everything it touches. -
Universe/expansion/life.
reply
It was said in the movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that the number 42 was pretty important. -
It was said that the number 42 is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything. -
In astrology the planet Jupiter contains the number 42. Jupiter expands everything it touches. -
Universe/expansion/life.
reply
Juan
Douglas Adams has repeatedly and explicitly said he was actively trying to avoid a significant or remarkable number. The Hubble Constant and Base 13 things were coincidence. He got the number from his time as a -prop borrower- foir John Cleese it was a reciept tally from a sketch of Cleese's about an annoying cashier.
reply
Douglas Adams has repeatedly and explicitly said he was actively trying to avoid a significant or remarkable number. The Hubble Constant and Base 13 things were coincidence. He got the number from his time as a -prop borrower- foir John Cleese it was a reciept tally from a sketch of Cleese's about an annoying cashier.
reply
FirstName
HHGG was the first book that confirmed for me that I was not crazy in seeing how crazy/weird the other hairless apes around me were and how funny/weird their aspirations were, the 5 book trilogy made life and everything wonderful, plus Dirk Gently and more. Douglas A come back soon. My house, off route 42 too
reply
HHGG was the first book that confirmed for me that I was not crazy in seeing how crazy/weird the other hairless apes around me were and how funny/weird their aspirations were, the 5 book trilogy made life and everything wonderful, plus Dirk Gently and more. Douglas A come back soon. My house, off route 42 too
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
