The Surprising Significance of 42: Beyond the Hitchhiker's Guide

by Nat Currier 17 min read
MathematicsCulturePhilosophyTechnologyLiterature
Excerpt

Douglas Adams' fictional supercomputer declared 42 as 'the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything' - but this seemingly random number has remarkable significance across mathematics, religion, computing, and music that makes it anything but arbitrary.

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Nat Currier. "The Surprising Significance of 42: Beyond the Hitchhiker's Guide." nat.io, 2025-03-15. https://nat.io/blog/42-meaning-science-culture-philosophy

The number 42 is notable mathematically as the product of primes 2, 3, and 7, the sum of first six even numbers, and appears in physics (rainbow angle) and culture (Jackie Robinson's jersey).

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Key stat: 17 minute read