Enoch Kuo | January 13, 2009
"The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything"
I recently helped a friend edit her college essay about the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I was suffering from an acute case of writer’s block, see, so I decided to offer some of my time in helping her out while hoping that my brain would start working again. But Arthur Dent, intergalactic bypasses, blankets—ah, the memories—were worth it. For some strange reason, though, I kept having random reoccurring thoughts of this one van ride my friends and I had spent on the way to Chicago for some conference or another. The chat had sort of died down a bit after we had all complained about schoolwork and shared cool stuff we’d learned for the requisite period—a must have in any full-time student conversation, especially among the more academically focused crowd, I’ll admit—and then the car-games started.
So for some strange reason, it seems that not that many people outside my school know how to play euchre for some odd reason. I looked it up on Wikipedia once and figured out why the east coasters I’ve met never seem to have even heard of it. Apparently, it’s lost its following in the U.S. apart from a few Midwestern states like my own. I guess I didn’t feel like teaching it, so that was out. I think we tried playing a few extreme games of Egyptian RatScrew, but you can probably guess how that turned out. I still don’t think I’ve found all of the cards that we lost then.
So, to satisfy our geeky side, we played twenty-four. (I think Twenty Questions: Pokemon edition was a short diversion, too). The basic premise is to get to the number twenty-four by whatever means possible (well, technically, four integers with the four basic mathematical operators, but where’s the fun in that?). We used the remaining cards in the deck, but, well, technically everything works (can I hear the time or the digits of mile markers
So back to the present. I kept having this odd nagging feeling that something was off. It took a few moments of random connections to pinpoint the cause. Why the heck are we using the number twenty four when there’s an even better alternative?!?
That’s right. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
What’s (1+6)×3×2 ? That’s right. 42.
How about 2×3×7+1+4+5+6+8+9-10-11-12? That’s right. It’s the digits of a clock arranged into an equation that results in 42. Boo yah.
42. It’s the new 24. Spread the love.
(turning up the heat a little bit)
(just for fun, of course)
And hey, I can go on forever. If you don’t believe me...
But that brings up the question of Douglas Adams again... some people think he was just trying to be humorous... others know better... or at least, we think we do.
42. The Ultimate Answer.
WHAT DO YOU GET IF YOU MULTIPLY SIX BY NINE? The Ultimate Question.
Because everyone knows that 
! And Scrabble boards are oh wait... they’re 15 x 15. Bother.
Oh Wikipedia, what a spoiler.
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The author has filed this entry in the, "Work it Like a Player" section; check it out for further reading on this topic. |
Responses To This Entry:
Great blog. That really helped me to get my life in order.
Posted by: Matt on January 16, 2009 10:01 AM
Oh em gee, I've been mentioned on the Internet! I'm glad I was an inspiration for such mathematical fury. Marvin would be proud of what complex arithmetic you amuse yourself with--which he would be able to ruminate over for one ten-trillionth of a second. =P
Posted by: Vivian on February 12, 2009 07:02 PM
