It was a joke in the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.

Yeah, you should read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Good. Read.

There's some computer which was built to reveal the meaning of life, and it just came up with '42' after thousands of years of waiting, and told everyone that the question hadn't been specified enough.

From memory.

I've seen the movie, but I thought there was some deeper meaning to it.

Probably one of those things that the author wanted people to ponder, but knew there was nothing in it.

42... My dad is 42. My dad, dad meaning the father. Father of heaven. Heaven, heav-en. Heavy end...Heavy and! Heavy and what?...Heavy and...Heavy and, a heavy and? So something that is heavy on the word and... a run on sentence! Run on...sentence.. Running words, speaking words like spoken in the bible to preach! It refers to the bible!

I am a genius!

News on my UrbanDead status. I have turned to the darkside and became a zombie yesterday. Why you ask? I've been stocking up on skills in a large fort in the Perryn area for weeks now. For the last month, the barracades of the fort have always been extreme so I couldn't go outside to kill zombies. I would ask the 500 people there, why they keep the cades so blocked off and they all treated me like an idiot. Just last week, I went outside to kill some zombies on a rare access day for the cades and those bastards locked me out! I barely had any points left to find a shelter but luckly I did.

From that moment on, I was determined to destroy those cowards in Fort Perryn. So when the cades were normal again, I went back in and waited for the right moment to make my move. There were about 200 zombies outside the fort trying to get in, but all the humans inside were keeping the cades up. Yesterday when everyone was asleep or having a normal life outside, I destroyed the radio and the generator and then pulled off enough of the barracades so the zombies could get in. I was killed in 10 minutes but it was too late. Not enough survivors were online to stop the zombies and now the first part of the fort is under attack. 50 of the 200 humans inside that particular spot are left and they are being attacked by about 150 zombies as we speak. Soon the entire fort will be destroyed.

DON'T YOU EVER DISRESPECT KINGRAW! ON URBAN DEAD OR ELSE YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!

It is mostly just a joke.

There are numerous ways to explain it though.

There is a suggestion at the end of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe that the Ultimate Question is "What do you get when you multiply six by nine?"

So, 6 x 9 = 42.

Which of course is incorrect.

The idea is that the universe is based upon a mathematical nonsense, with the end result that nothing really makes sense.

That of course is not my personal view - but I do find it funny in the context of the books.

Interestingly, in Base 13... 6 x 9 does in fact = 42.

But that assumes you understand Bases. If you don't I can go into it, but it's pretty unimportant.

Adams said himself that "People don't write jokes in base thirteen." Which pretty much killed off that theory.

There are other possible questions...

"How many roads must a man walk down?"

or, predictably,

"What is the answer to six times seven?"

However, getting onto that which is most interesting of all. There is a website dedicated to everything connected to the number 42. There are some shocking applications of this number. Things to do with the DNA of humans... and mice... amongst other things.

I do not have the link to the website any more - so happy hunting for it.

Interestingly also, 42 appears in the Bible a few times.

Matthew records 42 generations from Abraham to Christ.

There are also two sets of 42 months mentioned in Revelation. 42 months being exaclty half of seven years. Seven years being a significant measure of time in the Bible.

Adams insisted though that he just thought it would suit, for no real reason, and put it in the book. Well, there you are...

There is a suggestion at the end of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe that the Ultimate Question is "What do you get when you multiply six by nine?"

Wasn't that written after Hitchhiker's guide?

I think I have a better idea of what 42 is all about now. Thanks TE.

Well, yes it was Recal, as is the usual way with sequels!

OMG , I knew there was a connection!