The best answer!!!
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It took Deep Thought 7 1/2 million years to compute and check the answer. Too bad no one ever knew what the question was (except, of course, for D.A.).
FWIW...... 42 can also be expressed as an * (in ASCII). Elegant, perhaps. But still, more simply stated than 101010 (base 2).
The answer, 42, is in plain sight, twice, on the cover of the 1994 edition.
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The 42 puzzle. The shape of the islands in the background spells out 42, and there are 42 coloured balls. Amusingly, according to D.A. most people totally missed both references. LOL
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The 42 puzzle orthorectified (1), and the number 42 hidden as binary (2), Hindu-Arabic numerals (3) and Roman numerals (4).
Also FWIW:
- The Allen Telescope Array, a radio telescope used by SETI, has 42 dishes in homage to the Answer.
- In X-Files, Fox Mulder, lives in apartment 42. This has been acknowledged by the show's creator, Chris Carter, as a reference to Hitchhikers.
And well, ya know,
"... a towel has immense psychological value."
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyhow...........
"So long, and thanks for all the fish".
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ETA: Much more......
HERE (and elsewhere!).