In Douglas Adams' science fiction series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," the number 42 is presented as the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything." This is calculated by an enormous supercomputer named Deep Thought after seven and a half million years of computation. The humor and absurdity lie in the fact that the characters—and hence the readers—do not know what the actual question is. Thus, while they have this seemingly profound answer, it is rendered meaningless without the correct context. The choice of the number 42 has been subject to much speculation and analysis by fans and scholars alike. Adams himself, however, insisted that the choice of the number 42 was arbitrary and humorous, chosen for its mundanity and not intended to carry any deeper significance. In an interview, Adams mentioned that he simply found 42 a funny number and liked the way it sounded. What makes 42 a humorous choice is its anticlimax; for such an ultimate and significant question, an answer that is just a simple, small, even-number doesn't seem to fit, and this juxtaposition creates a sense of the absurd that is at the heart of the book's humor. Over the years, the number has achieved cultural significance outside of the book's context, with many fans celebrating "Towel Day" (a reference to another element of the book series) on the 42nd day of the year or finding other creative ways to pay homage to Adams' iconic answer. In the wider context of the series, the number 42 encapsulates the comic philosophy of the books, which portrays the universe as impossibly complex and inscrutable to human logic. It illustrates Adams' satirical take on the human quest for meaning in an indifferent and often nonsensical universe.