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42

31,436 2,810 September 9, 2019 at 07:37 PM
In Douglas Adams' sci-fi series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," a pair of programmers task the galaxy's largest supercomputer with answering the ultimate question of the meaning of life, the universe and everything. After 7.5 million years of processing, the computer reaches an answer: 42. Only then do the programmers realize that nobody knew the question the program was meant to answer.




Now, in this week's most satisfying example of life reflecting art, a pair of mathematicians have used a global network of 500,000 computers to solve a centuries-old math puzzle that just happens to involve that most crucial number: 42.





Full story:

https://www.livescience.com/dioph...-life.html
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Zoe Moon
Everything will be okay, in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. Joined Jun 2006 Jambi-rific in Seattle!
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MusicShark
09-09-2019 at 08:04 PM.
09-09-2019 at 08:04 PM.
don't bother with these scam "global network computers solving". computers = global warming contributors.we should sue amazon, google, microsoft, apple, nsa for their CO2
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Last edited by MusicShark September 9, 2019 at 08:06 PM.
Joined Jan 2010
Too cool for school
> bubble2 6,116 Posts
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ProfessorChaos
09-09-2019 at 08:38 PM.
09-09-2019 at 08:38 PM.
Quote from MusicShark :
don't bother with these scam "global network computers solving". computers = global warming contributors.we should sue amazon, google, microsoft, apple, nsa for their CO2

Whatchu smokin' dude? Confused
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Joined May 2004
L42: The Ultimate Answer
> bubble2 1,658 Posts
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FlashX83
09-10-2019 at 05:39 AM.
09-10-2019 at 05:39 AM.
Quote from MusicShark :
we should sue amazon
I thought amazon was on fire... have some sympathy, man!
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Joined Feb 2005
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Putz1103
09-10-2019 at 05:46 AM.
09-10-2019 at 05:46 AM.
I'm actually a little offended by this article's headline and deceptive journalism. The QUESTION was 42 (only kind of, the question was really all whole numbers between, and including, 1 and 99), not the answer. The answer was

x = (-80538738812075974)
y = (80435758145817515)
z = (12602123297335631)
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Joined Mar 2009
Schrödinger's Frog
> bubble2 19,384 Posts
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Frogstar
09-10-2019 at 06:28 AM.
09-10-2019 at 06:28 AM.
But 42 itself was part of the answer to a question, was it not?
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Putz1103
09-10-2019 at 07:29 AM.
09-10-2019 at 07:29 AM.
You got me. If I somehow asked you what (-80538738812075974)^3 + (80435758145817515)^3 + (12602123297335631)^3 equals, the answer would be 42.

But I'll still take "How many roads must a man walk down?" as the better question with the answer being 42.
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Schrödinger's Frog
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Frogstar
09-10-2019 at 07:31 AM.
09-10-2019 at 07:31 AM.
Quote from Putz1103 :
You got me. If I somehow asked you what (-80538738812075974)^3 + (80435758145817515)^3 + (12602123297335631)^3 equals, the answer would be 42.

But I'll still take "How many roads must a man walk down?" as the better question with the answer being 42.
But we already know the real question was "What do you get if you multiply six by nine?" Nono2
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Joined Feb 2005
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Putz1103
09-10-2019 at 07:35 AM.
09-10-2019 at 07:35 AM.
Quote from Frogstar :
But we already know the real question was "What do you get if you multiply six by nine?" Nono2
The falling plant would disagree with you. Ranting

Proof! [youtu.be]
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Schrödinger's Frog
> bubble2 19,384 Posts
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Frogstar
09-10-2019 at 07:49 AM.
09-10-2019 at 07:49 AM.
Are you suggesting that Dentarthurdent was wrong? I mean, obviously if he was actually descended from Golgafrinchans, he probably wasn't really part of the program, but let's not quibble over major details.
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VorlonFrog
09-10-2019 at 11:09 AM.
09-10-2019 at 11:09 AM.
Quote from Frogstar :
Are you suggesting that Dentarthurdent was wrong? I mean, obviously if he was actually descended from Golgafrinchans, he probably wasn't really part of the program, but let's not quibble over major details.
Clearly, you're carrying your towel. Bowdown
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MusicShark
09-10-2019 at 11:34 AM.
09-10-2019 at 11:34 AM.
Quote from FlashX83 :
I thought amazon was on fire... have some sympathy, man!
no sympathy for evil company
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Schrödinger's Frog
> bubble2 19,384 Posts
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Frogstar
09-10-2019 at 12:08 PM.
09-10-2019 at 12:08 PM.
Quote from VorlonFrog :
Clearly, you're carrying your towel. Bowdown
Naturally!
Quote from MusicShark :
no sympathy for evil company
I don't think you understood the post.
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DC
09-10-2019 at 12:54 PM.
09-10-2019 at 12:54 PM.
Quote from Frogstar :
I don't think you understood the post.
Understanding is not a prereq for the Lounge.

Also I'm upset at the carbon expended to run the SD website.
Something should be done about this!!!!
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Joined Mar 2009
Schrödinger's Frog
> bubble2 19,384 Posts
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Frogstar
09-10-2019 at 12:56 PM.
09-10-2019 at 12:56 PM.
Quote from DC :
Understanding is not a prereq for the Lounge.

Also I'm upset at the carbon expended to run the SD website.
Something should be done about this!!!!
We could all take turns holding our breath to offset it?
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