The Meaning of Life, 42, and Wildcards
A brief exploration about the meaning of life involving the number 42 and the history of computer language wildcards.
What is the meaning of life? It’s the long-pondered question, considered for centuries. By searching for the “meaning of life” on Amazon, you’ll find over 30,000 books alone. Philosophy, religion, and science have all considered the idea from different angles. But is there a definitive answer?
If you’re familiar with Douglas Adam’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you already know the absolute answer. This comedy science-fiction franchise includes a supercomputer named Deep Thought that was created with the distinct purpose of answering “the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything.” After Deep Thought processes the computation over 7.5 million years, it finally provides the answer: 42.
The (In)Significance of 42
There’s been much speculation as to what the significance of 42 could be. Visiting the Wikipedia page for the number 42 reveals a stunning abundance of meanings for the number. Categories include…
