In "The Hitchhiker'
s Guide to the Galaxy," the ultra-computer, "Deep Thought," is asked to give "the meaning of Life, The
Universe and Everything." After a very long
time calculating, Deep Thought declares the answer is "Forty-
Two," which mystifies everyone.
Douglas Adams, the author of the "Hitchhiker" series, was familiar with computer programming. The symbol for a "wild card" -- a value that can be
whatever the programmer desires and/or what the program needs to
run -- is the "asterisk," which is this symbol * , sometimes called the "star" symbol."
In the American Standard Code for Instructional Interchange, or "ASCII," the "asterisk" is symbol number "42." Thus, "42" became a programmers' inside joke meaning "whatever you want it to be." Deep Thought could have
said given its answer as, "anything" or "whatever you want it to be," but being a computer, it gave the ASCII code number, instead.
"I have an answer," Deep Thought
said, "though I don'
t think you'
re going to like it."
"What is it?" asked the mice?
"The answer is....is...is...Forty-Two!"
Vroomfondle asked, "Is that it? What is THAT supposed to
mean?"
Programmer 1: I'm going out for a burger, you want something?
Programmer 2: Sure.
Programmer 1: Okay, what do you want.
Programmer 2: Oh, I'm not sure. Get me Forty-Two.
