Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy: Science: Deep Thought
Deep Thought (no relation to Deep Throat although the very reverend Douglas Adams no doubt intended us to contemplate such an idea) was constructed by a race of pan dimentional mega beings (the Mice!) for a very special purpose.
It was so intelligent that even before its databanks were connected up; it had deduced such complex concepts as ‘I think therefore I am’.
Once it had been programmed with all the knowledge in the Universe, it was left to two men, specially selected to ask the great question.
Deep Thought introduced itself as the “Second greatest computer of all time“. This somewhat interrupted the flow of the two senior programmers. The computer was asked if it was:
More powerful than the Milliard Gargantubrain which can count all the atoms in a single star in less than a second!?
“The Milliard Gargantubrain is merely an abacus! ” Says Deep Thought
A greater analyst than the Googleplex Starthinker in the Seventh Light and Ingenuity (wherever that is!)
“Molest me not with this potted calculator stuff! ” Says Deep Thought
A more Fiendish disputant that then the Great Hyperbolic Omni Cognate Neutro Wrangler of Cisseronious 12
“The Great Hyperbolic Omni Cognate Neutro Wrangler could talk all the legs off an Arturan Magadonky, but only I could persuade it to go for a walk afterwards!,” It says (a little bigheaded huh?)
It spoke of the computer that was to come after it!
After all that trumpet blowing, the obsolete heap of metal then goes on to say that it will take seven and a half million years to calculate! Wadda waist of time, If I were a pan dimensional mega-being, I’d scrap the heap of junk and …. and ….. erm, build another one that was more powerful!
And then, AND THEN – The bloody condescending, patronising son of a iron ore quarry can only come up with the answer “42“. For goodness sake!, can you imagine the disappointment? I mean, such a whopping investment and waiting all that time and everything.
It tries to wheedle out of it (in it’s own inimitably aggressive manner) by saying that the question was a load of rubbish in the first place! (A poor excuse in my opinion). THEN the big shmuk can’t even come up with the question to the answer 42, erm.. which is the answer to The Question of Life the Universe and Everything erm… I think.. (Do you get the feeling sometimes that yer walking off a plank without a ship?)
Deep Thought did however come up with the design specs for the Earth (that was), then next generation of supercomputer, which was awfully nice of it I thought.
The number 42 is now undoubtedly the most famous number in Science Fiction. It is quoted in many other shows and websites around the world look for other interesting occurrences of the number (that naturally occur).
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy reviews are © 1999-2019 Tony Fawl. Not for reproduction without the authors express permission
Discuss this Hitch Hikers Culture in the
Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy Forum
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy names, characters, pictures and everything else associated with the series are the property of The British Broadcasting Corporation & Douglas Adams.
