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42 (forty-two) is the natural number that follows 41 and precedes 43.


Mathematics

Forty-two (42) is a pronic number and an abundant number; its
prime factorization In number theory, integer factorization is the decomposition of a composite number into a product of smaller integers. If these factors are further restricted to prime numbers, the process is called prime factorization. When the numbers are suf ...
(2\times 3\times 7) makes it the second sphenic number and also the second of the form (2\times 3\times r). Additional properties of the number 42 include: * It is the number of isomorphism classes of all simple and oriented directed graphs on 4 vertices. In other words, it is the number of all possible outcomes (up to isomorphism) of a tournament consisting of 4 teams where the game between any pair of teams results in three possible outcomes: the first team wins, the second team wins, or there is a draw. The group stage of the FIFA World cup is a good example. * It is the third primary pseudoperfect number. * It is a Catalan number. Consequently, 42 is the number of noncrossing partitions of a set of five elements, the number of triangulations of a heptagon, the number of rooted ordered binary trees with six leaves, the number of ways in which five pairs of nested parentheses can be arranged, etc. * It is an
alternating sign matrix In mathematics, an alternating sign matrix is a square matrix of 0s, 1s, and −1s such that the sum of each row and column is 1 and the nonzero entries in each row and column alternate in sign. These matrices generalize permutation matrices and a ...
number, that is, the number of 4-by-4 alternating sign matrices. * It is the smallest number k that is equal to the sum of the nonprime proper divisors of k, i.e., 42 = 1 + 6 + 14 + 21. * It is the number of
partitions Partition may refer to: Computing Hardware * Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive * Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job Software * Partition (database), the division of a ...
of 10—the number of ways of expressing 10 as a sum of positive integers (note a different sense of partition from that above). * Given 27 same-size cubes whose nominal values progress from 1 to 27, a 3 × 3 × 3 magic cube can be constructed such that every row, column, and corridor, and every diagonal passing through the center, is composed of three numbers whose sum of values is 42. * It is the third pentadecagonal number. It is a
meandric number In mathematics, a meander or closed meander is a self-avoiding closed curve which intersects a line a number of times. Intuitively, a meander can be viewed as a road crossing a river through a number of bridges. Meander Given a fixed oriented lin ...
and an
open meandric number In mathematics, a meander or closed meander is a self-avoiding closed curve which intersects a line a number of times. Intuitively, a meander can be viewed as a road crossing a river through a number of bridges. Meander Given a fixed oriented li ...
. * 42 is the only known value that is the number of sets of four distinct positive integers ''a'', ''b'', ''c'', ''d'', each less than the value itself, such that ''ab'' − ''cd'', ''ac'' − ''bd'', and ''ad'' − ''bc'' are each multiples of the value. Whether there are other values remains an open question. * 42 is a (2,6)-perfect number ( super-multiperfect), as σ(''n'') = σ(σ(''n'')) = 6''n''. * 42 is the resulting number of the original Smith number (4937775=3\times 5\times 5\times 65837): Both the sum of its digits (4 + 9 + 3 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 5) and the sum of the digits in its prime factorization (3 + 5 + 5 + (6 + 5 + 8 + 3 + 7)) result in 42. * The dimension of the
Borel subalgebra In mathematics, specifically in representation theory, a Borel subalgebra of a Lie algebra \mathfrak is a maximal solvable subalgebra. The notion is named after Armand Borel. If the Lie algebra \mathfrak is the Lie algebra of a complex Lie group, ...
in the
exceptional Lie algebra In mathematics, an exceptional Lie algebra is a complex simple Lie algebra whose Dynkin diagram is of exceptional (nonclassical) type. There are exactly five of them: \mathfrak_2, \mathfrak_4, \mathfrak_6, \mathfrak_7, \mathfrak_8; their respective ...
''e''6 is 42. * 42 is the largest number ''n'' such that there exist positive integers ''p'', ''q'', ''r'' with 1 = + + + * 42 is the smallest number ''k'' such that for every Riemann surface ''C'', #Aut(''C'') ≤ ''k'' deg(''K''''C'') = ''k''(2''g'' − 2) ( Hurwitz's automorphisms theorem) * 42 is the sum of the first six positive even numbers. * 42 was the last natural number below 100 whose representation as a
sum of three cubes In the mathematics of sums of powers, it is an open problem to characterize the numbers that can be expressed as a sum of three cubes of integers, allowing both positive and negative cubes in the sum. A necessary condition for n to equal such a s ...
was found (in 2019). The representation is: (-80538738812075974)^3 + 80435758145817515^3 + 12602123297335631^3. * 42 is a
Harshad number In mathematics, a harshad number (or Niven number) in a given number base is an integer that is divisible by the sum of its digits when written in that base. Harshad numbers in base are also known as -harshad (or -Niven) numbers. Harshad numbers ...
in base 10, because the sum of the digits 4 and 2 is 6 (4 + 2 = 6), and 42 is divisible by 6. * 42 is the number of ways to arrange the numbers 1 to 9 in a 3x3 matrix such that the numbers in each row and column are in ascending order. * 42 is also ten factorial divided by the number of seconds in a day (i.e. 86400).


Science

* 42 is the atomic number of
molybdenum Molybdenum is a chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42 which is located in period 5 and group 6. The name is from Neo-Latin ''molybdaenum'', which is based on Ancient Greek ', meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lea ...
. * 42 is the atomic mass of one of the naturally occurring stable isotopes of calcium. * The angle rounded to whole degrees for which a rainbow appears (the critical angle). * In 1966, mathematician Paul Cooper theorized that the fastest, most efficient way to travel across continents would be to bore a straight hollow tube directly through the Earth, connecting a set of
antipodes In geography, the antipode () of any spot on Earth is the point on Earth's surface diametrically opposite to it. A pair of points ''antipodal'' () to each other are situated such that a straight line connecting the two would pass through Ear ...
, remove the air from the tube and fall through. The first half of the journey consists of free-fall acceleration, while the second half consists of an exactly equal deceleration. The time for such a journey works out to be 42 minutes. Even if the tube does not pass through the exact center of the Earth, the time for a journey powered entirely by gravity (known as a gravity train) always works out to be 42 minutes, so long as the tube remains friction-free, as while the force of gravity would be lessened, the distance traveled is reduced at an equal rate. (The same idea was proposed, without calculation by Lewis Carroll in 1893 in ''
Sylvie and Bruno Concluded Sylvie may refer to: * Sylvie (novel), ''Sylvie'' (novel), an 1853 novel by Gérard de Nerval * Sylvie (actress) (1883–1970), French actress * Sylvie (band), a Canadian rock band from Regina, active in the 2000s * Sylvie (album), ''Sylvie'' (alb ...
''.) Now we know that is inaccurate, and it only would take about 38 minutes. * As determined by the Babylonians, in 79 years Mars orbits the Sun almost exactly 42 times. * The hypothetical efficiency of converting mass to energy, as per E=mc², by having a given mass orbit a rotating black hole is 42%, the highest efficiency yet known to modern physics. *In ''Powers of Ten'' by Ray and Charles Eames, the known universe from large-scale to small-scale is represented by 42 different powers of ten. These powers range from 1025 meters to 10−17 meters.


Technology

* Magic numbers used by
programmer A computer programmer, sometimes referred to as a software developer, a software engineer, a programmer or a coder, is a person who creates computer programs — often for larger computer software. A programmer is someone who writes/creates ...
s: ** In TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), the second
16-bit 16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors. A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two mos ...
word of every file is 42, "an arbitrary but carefully chosen number that further identifies the file as a TIFF file". ** In the reiser4 file system, 42 is the
inode The inode (index node) is a data structure in a Unix-style file system that describes a file-system object such as a file or a directory. Each inode stores the attributes and disk block locations of the object's data. File-system object attribute ...
number of the
root directory In a computer file system, and primarily used in the Unix and Unix-like operating systems, the root directory is the first or top-most directory in a hierarchy. It can be likened to the trunk of a tree, as the starting point where all branches ...
. ** In the militar
IRIG 106 Chapter 10
data recording standard, the hex value 0x464F52545974776F (ASCII "FORTYtwo") is used as a magic number to identify directory blocks. * The
GNU C Library The GNU C Library, commonly known as glibc, is the GNU Project's implementation of the C standard library. Despite its name, it now also directly supports C++ (and, indirectly, other programming languages). It was started in the 1980s by ...
, a set of standard routines available for use in computer programming, contains a functionmemfrob()—which performs an
XOR Exclusive or or exclusive disjunction is a logical operation that is true if and only if its arguments differ (one is true, the other is false). It is symbolized by the prefix operator J and by the infix operators XOR ( or ), EOR, EXOR, , ...
combination of a given variable and the binary pattern 00101010 (42) as an
XOR cipher In cryptography, the simple XOR cipher is a type of ''additive cipher'', an encryption algorithm that operates according to the principles: :A \oplus 0 = A, :A \oplus A = 0, :A \oplus B = B \oplus A, :(A \oplus B) \oplus C = A \oplus (B \oplus C), ...
. * Tiling a plane using regular hexagons, which is honeycomb in appearance, is approximated in a topological sense to an accuracy of better than 1% using a stretcher bond brick pattern with bricks of 42 squares (6 by 7). * The password expiration policy for a Microsoft Windows domain defaults to 42 days. * The ASCII code 42 is for the
asterisk The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
symbol, being a wildcard for everything.


Astronomy

* Messier object M42, a magnitude 5.0
diffuse nebula A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming region ...
in the
constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...
Orion, also known as the
Orion Nebula The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, being south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye in the nig ...
. * The
New General Catalogue The ''New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars'' (abbreviated NGC) is an astronomical catalogue of deep-sky objects compiled by John Louis Emil Dreyer in 1888. The NGC contains 7,840 objects, including galaxies, star clusters and ...
object NGC 42, a
spiral galaxy Spiral galaxies form a class of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work ''The Realm of the Nebulae''Pegasus Pegasus ( grc-gre, Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; la, Pegasus, Pegasos) is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as hor ...
. * In January 2004,
asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
was given the permanent name
25924 Douglasadams 25924 Douglasadams, provisional designation , is a Nysian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 2.4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 19 February 2001, by astronomers of the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Res ...
, for the author Douglas Adams who popularized the number 42. Adams died in 2001.
Brian G. Marsden Brian Geoffrey Marsden (5 August 1937 – 18 November 2010) was a British astronomer and the longtime director of the Minor Planet Center (MPC) at the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (director emeritus from 2006 to 2010). ...
, the director of the
Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Function ...
and the secretary for the naming committee, remarked that, with even his initials in the provisional designation, "This was sort of made for him, wasn't it?". *
Kepler-42 Kepler-42, formerly known as KOI-961, is a red dwarf located in the constellation Cygnus and approximately 131 light years from the Sun. It has three known extrasolar planets, all of which are smaller than Earth in radius, and likely ...
, a red dwarf in the constellation Cygnus which hosts the three smallest exoplanets found to date. *
42 Isis Isis, minor planet designation: 42 Isis, is a large main-belt asteroid, measuring 100.2 km in diameter with a stony ( S-type) composition. It was discovered by English astronomer N.R. Pogson on 23 May 1856 at Oxford, and was his first aste ...
, a large main-belt
asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
measuring about 100 km in diameter.


Religion

*''
Ancient Egyptian religion Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals that formed an integral part of ancient Egyptian culture. It centered on the Egyptians' interactions with many deities believed to be present in, and in control ...
'': Over most of pharaonic Egyptian history, the empire was divided into 42 nomes. Ancient Egyptian religion and mythological structure frequently model this terrestrial structure. ** ''42 body parts of Osiris'': In some traditions of the Osiris myth, Seth slays Osiris and distributes his 42 body parts all over Egypt. (In others, the number is fourteen and sixteen). ** ''42 negative confessions'': In Ancient Egyptian religion, the 42 negative confessions were a list of questions asked of deceased persons making their journey through the underworld after death. Ma'at was an abstract concept representing moral law, order, and truth in both the physical and moral spheres, as well as being an important goddess in the religion. In the judgment scene described in the Egyptian
Book of the Dead The ''Book of the Dead'' ( egy, 𓂋𓏤𓈒𓈒𓈒𓏌𓏤𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤, ''rw n(y)w prt m hrw(w)'') is an ancient Egyptian funerary text generally written on papyrus and used from the beginning of the New Kingdom ...
, which evolved from the
Coffin Texts The Coffin Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary spells written on coffins beginning in the First Intermediate Period. They are partially derived from the earlier Pyramid Texts, reserved for royal use only, but contain substantial ...
and the Pyramid Texts, 42 questions were asked of the deceased person as part of the assessment of Ma'at. If the deceased person could reasonably give answers to the 42 questions, they would be permitted to enter the afterlife. These 42 questions are known as the "42 Negative Confessions" and can be found in funerary texts such as the Papyrus of Ani. ** ''42 books in the core library'': Clement of Alexandria states that the Egyptian temple library is divided into 42 "absolutely necessary" books that formed the stock of a core library. 36 contain the entire philosophy of the Egyptians which are memorized by the priests. While the remaining 6, are learned by the Pastophoroi (image-bearers). (36 is like-wise a sacred number in Egyptian thought, related to time, in particular the thirty-six Decan stars and the thirty-six, 10-day "weeks" in the Egyptian year.) The 42 books were not canonized like the Hebrew bible; they only supported and never replaced temple ritual. Hence, the destruction of the Egyptian temples and the cessation of the rituals ended Egyptian cultural continuity. * Abrahamic religions ** There are 42 Stations of the Exodus which are the locations visited by the Israelites following their exodus from Egypt, recorded i
Numbers 33
with variations also recorded in the books of
Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...
and
Deuteronomy Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...
. ** In Judaism, the number (in the ''Babylonian Talmud'', compiled 375 AD to 499 AD) of the "Forty-Two Lettered Name" ascribed to God. Rab (or Rabhs), a 3rd-century source in the Talmud stated "The Forty-Two Lettered Name is entrusted only to him who is pious, meek, middle-aged, free from bad temper, sober, and not insistent on his rights". ource: ''Talmud Kidduschin'' 71a, Translated by Rabbi Dr. I. Epstein Maimonides felt that the original Talmudic Forty-Two Lettered Name was perhaps composed of several combined divine names aimonides "Moreh" The apparently unpronouncable Tetragrammaton provides the backdrop from the Twelve-Lettered Name and the Forty-Two Lettered Name of the Talmud. ** In Judaism, by some traditions the Torah scroll is written with no fewer than 42 lines per column, based on the journeys of Israel. In the present day, 42 lines is the most common standard, but various traditions remain in use (see
Sefer Torah A ( he, סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה; "Book of Torah"; plural: ) or Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah, meaning the five books of Moses (the first books of the Hebrew Bible). The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Tora ...
). **42 is the number with which God creates the Universe in Kabbalistic tradition. In Kabbalah, the most significant name is that of the En Sof (also known as " Ein Sof", "Infinite" or "Endless"), who is above the Sefirot (sometimes spelled " Sephirot"). The Forty-Two-Lettered Name contains four combined names which are spelled in Hebrew letters (spelled in letters = 42 letters), which is the name of Azilut (or " Atziluth" "Emanation"). While there are obvious links between the Forty-Two Lettered Name of the Babylonian Talmud and the Kabbalah's Forty-Two Lettered Name, they are probably not identical because of the Kabbalah's emphasis on numbers. The Kabbalah also contains a Forty-Five Lettered Name and a Seventy-Two Lettered Name. ** The number 42 appears in various contexts in Christianity. There are 42 generations (names) in the Gospel of Matthew's version of the Genealogy of Jesus; it is prophesied that for 42 months the Beast will hold dominion over the Earth ( Revelation 13:5); 42 men of Beth-azmaveth were counted in the census of men of Israel upon return from exile ( Ezra 2:24); God sent bears to maul 42 of the teenage boys who mocked
Elisha Elisha ( ; or "God is my salvation", Greek: , ''Elis îos'' or , ''Elisaié,'' Latin: ''Eliseus'') was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a prophet and a wonder-worker. His name is commonly transliterated into English as Elisha via Hebrew, Eli ...
for his baldness (
2 Kings The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also including the books ...
2:23), etc. ** The Gutenberg Bible is also known as the "42-line Bible", as the book contained 42 lines per page. ** The Forty-Two Articles (1552), largely the work of Thomas Cranmer, were intended to summarize Anglican doctrine, as it now existed under the reign of Edward VI. * East Asian religions ** The ''
Sutra of Forty-two Sections The ''Sutra of Forty-two Chapters'' (also called the ''Sutra of Forty-two Sections'', Chinese: 四十二章經) is often regarded as the first Indian Buddhist sutra translated into Chinese. However, this collection of aphorisms may have appeared s ...
'' is a Buddhist scripture. ** In Japanese culture, the number 42 is considered unlucky because the numerals when pronounced separately—''shi ni'' (four two)—sound like the word " dying", like the Latin word " mori".


Popular culture


''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''

The number 42 is, in '' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' by Douglas Adams, the " Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything," calculated by an enormous supercomputer named Deep Thought over a period of 7.5 million years. Unfortunately, no one knows what the question is. Thus, to calculate the Ultimate Question, a special computer the size of a small planet was built from organic components and named "Earth". The Ultimate Question "What do you get when you multiply six by nine" was found by Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect in the second book of the series, '' The Restaurant at the End of the Universe''. This appeared first in the radio play and later in the novelization of '' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. The fact that Adams named the episodes of the radio play "fits", the same archaic title for a chapter or section used by Lewis Carroll in '' The Hunting of the Snark'', suggests that Adams was influenced by Carroll's fascination with and frequent use of the number. The fourth book in the series, , contains 42 chapters. According to , 42 is the street address of Stavromula Beta. In 1994, Adams created the ''
42 Puzzle ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' is a comic science fiction series created by Douglas Adams that has become popular among fans of the genre and members of the scientific community. Phrases from it are widely recognised and often used in ...
'', a game based on the number 42. The book ''42: Douglas Adams' Amazingly Accurate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything'' (2011) examines Adams' choice of the number 42, and contains a compendium of some instances of the number in science, popular culture, and humour. Google also has a calculator easter egg when one searches "the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything." Once typed (all in lowercase), the calculator answers with the number 42. In Hervé Le Tellier's novel ''
The Anomaly ''The Anomaly'' is a 2014 British science fiction action thriller film co-written, directed by and starring Noel Clarke and also featuring Ian Somerhalder and Luke Hemsworth. The film was panned by critics. Plot Ex-soldier Ryan Reeve wakes u ...
'', a top-secret US Government protocol receives code number 42, inspired by this source.


Works of Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll, who was a mathematician, made repeated use of this number in his writings. Examples of Carroll's use of 42: * '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' has 42 illustrations. * Alice's attempts at multiplication (chapter two of ''Alice in Wonderland'') work if one uses base 18 to write the first answer, and increases the base by threes to 21, 24, etc. (the answers working up to 4 × 12 = "19" in base 39), but "breaks" precisely when one attempts the answer to 4 × 13 in base 42, leading Alice to declare "oh dear! I shall never get to twenty at that rate!" * Rule Forty-two in ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' ("All persons more than a mile high to leave the court"). * Rule 42 of the Code in the preface to '' The Hunting of the Snark'' ("No one shall speak to the Man at the Helm"). * In "fit the first" of '' The Hunting of the Snark'' the Baker had "forty-two boxes, all carefully packed, With his name painted clearly on each." * The White Queen announces her age as "one hundred and one, five months and a day", which—if the best possible date is assumed for the action of '' Through the Looking-Glass'' (e.g., a date is chosen such that the rollover from February to March is excluded from what would otherwise be an imprecise measurement of "five months and a day")—gives a total of 37,044 days. If the Red Queen, as part of the same chess set, is regarded as the same age, their combined age is 74,088 days, or 42 × 42 × 42.


Music

*
42 Dugg Dion Marquise Hayes (born November 25, 1995), known professionally as 42 Dugg, is an American rapper. He is jointly signed to rappers Lil Baby and Yo Gotti's respective labels 4 Pockets Full (4PF) and Collective Music Group (CMG), in conjunctio ...
is an American rapper. * "Forty-two" ("42") is a work (dedicated to Elvis Presley, Joe Dassin and Vladimir Vysotsky) for oboe and symphony orchestra by Estonian composer
Peeter Vähi Peeter Vähi (born 18 May 1955, Tartu) is a classical Estonian composer. Vähi's work ''Relaxatio'', written in 1992 and inspired by Asian intonal elements of Tibetan canticles, is a noted electronic work of psychotherapeutic music.Mark Rais. ...
. * Level 42 is an English
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
/
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
/
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
music band. * " 42" is one of the tracks on Coldplay′s 2008 album '' Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends''. * " Channel 42" is an electronic music song by deadmau5 featuring Wolfgang Gartner; it appears on the 2012 deadmau5 album ''
Album Title Goes Here ''Album Title Goes Here'' (stylized as ''> album title goes here album title goes here <''
at ''. * "42" is a song from Mumford and Sons′ 2018 album ''
Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also re ...
''. * "42" is a song written and produced by hip-hop and record production trio
3Racha Stray Kids (; often abbreviated as SKZ) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment through the 2017 Stray Kids (TV series), reality show of the same name. The group is composed of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunji ...
, which consists of members Bang Chan, Han Jisung, and Seo Changbin of popular k-pop group Stray Kids. A lyric in this song states, “Why do we live? What’s the purpose? Is it 42? Stop speaking nonsense,” which directly references to '' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''’s definition of 42. * ""42"" is a song from the 2018 album '' SR3MM'' by American rap duo Rae Sremmurd. * "42" is a song from the 2019 album ''Don′t Panic'' by the progressive rock band IZZ. The album is a partial concept album based on '' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. * "42" is a song by The Disco Biscuits.


Television and film

* ''
The Kumars at No. 42 ''The Kumars at No. 42'' is a British television show. It won an International Emmy in 2002 and 2003, and won a Peabody Award in 2004. It ran for seven series totalling 53 episodes. It was reportedly a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II. Plot Th ...
'' is a British comedy television series. * " 42" is an episode of ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'', set in
real time Real-time or real time describes various operations in computing or other processes that must guarantee response times within a specified time (deadline), usually a relatively short time. A real-time process is generally one that happens in defined ...
lasting approximately 42 minutes. * On the game show '' Jeopardy!'', "
Watson Watson may refer to: Companies * Actavis, a pharmaceutical company formerly known as Watson Pharmaceuticals * A.S. Watson Group, retail division of Hutchison Whampoa * Thomas J. Watson Research Center, IBM research center * Watson Systems, make ...
" the IBM supercomputer has 42 "threads" in its avatar. * '' 42'' is a film on the life of American baseball player Jackie Robinson. * '' Captain Harlock'' is sometimes seen wearing clothing with the number 42 on it. * In the '' Stargate Atlantis season 4'' episode "Quarantine", Colonel Sheppard states that Dr. McKay's password ends in 42 because "It's the ultimate answer to the great question of life, the universe and everything." * In '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'', the Festival of the Ancestors on Planet Pasaana is held every 42 years. The film itself was released in 2019, 42 years after the 1977 original ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' film. By a "whole string of pretty meaningless coincidences", 2019 is the same year that 42 was found to be the last possible natural number below 100 to be expressed as a
sum of three cubes In the mathematics of sums of powers, it is an open problem to characterize the numbers that can be expressed as a sum of three cubes of integers, allowing both positive and negative cubes in the sum. A necessary condition for n to equal such a s ...
. * In the TV show ''
Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
'', 42 is one of the numbers used throughout the show for some of its mysteries. * In ''
Pacific Rim The Pacific Rim comprises the lands around the rim of the Pacific Ocean. The ''Pacific Basin'' includes the Pacific Rim and the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Rim roughly overlaps with the geologic Pacific Ring of Fire. List of co ...
'', a 2013 American science-fiction monster film, when Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket arrives at the Hong Kong Shatterdome, the hangar door number is 42. * In the TV show '' X-Files'', Fox Mulder's apartment number is 42. * In the animated movie ''
Finding Nemo ''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Lee Unkrich, the screenplay was writ ...
'', the address on the scuba mask left behind by the diver who took Nemo was P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney, NSW. * There is a Belgian TV drama called ''
Unit 42 ''Unit 42'' (original title: ') is a Belgian television series written by Julie Bertrand, Annie Carels and Charlotte Joulia. It premiered in Belgium on La Une on 19 November 2017, and it was released worldwide on Netflix on 14 June 2019. After ...
'' about a special police unit that uses high-tech tools to go after criminals. One of the characters in the pilot episode explains that the unit was named based on the Hitchhiker's Guide.


Video games

*
42 Entertainment 42 Entertainment is an American company based in Burbank which specializes in creating and producing alternate reality games (ARGs). The company was founded in 2003 as an independently owned, creative content and interactive agency under the nam ...
is the company responsible for several alternate reality games, including '' I Love Bees'', '' Year Zero'', and ''Why So Serious''. * '' Tokyo 42'' is a videogame released in 2017. *'' Squadron 42'' is a videogame set in the Star Citizen Universe with an unspecified release date.


Sports

* The
jersey number In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar (with such naming differences varying by sport and region) is the number worn on a player's uniform, to ...
of
Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...
, which is the only number retired by all Major League Baseball teams. Although the number was retired in 1997, Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees, the last professional baseball player to wear number 42, continued to wear it until he retired at the end of the 2013 season. As of the 2014 season, no player ever again wore the number 42 in Major League Baseball except on
Jackie Robinson Day Jackie Robinson Day is a traditional event which occurs annually on April 15 in Major League Baseball (MLB), commemorating and honoring the day Jackie Robinson made his major league debut. Celebrated at MLB ballparks, on that one day, all player ...
(April 15), when ''all'' uniformed personnel (players, managers, coaches, and umpires) wear the number. * The number of the laws of cricket. * Rule 42 is the historic name of a Gaelic Athletic Association rule (now codified in Rule 5.1 and Rule 44) that in practice prohibits the playing of "foreign sports" (generally association football and the rugby codes) at GAA grounds.


Architecture

* The architects of the Rockefeller Center in New York City worked daily in the Graybar Building where on "the twenty-fifth floor, one enormous drafting room contained forty-two identical drawing boards, each the size of a six-seat dining room table; another room harboured twelve more, and an additional fourteen stood just outside the principals' offices at the top of the circular iron staircase connecting 25 to 26". * In the Rockefeller Center ( New York City) there are a total of "forty-two elevators in five separate banks" which carry tenants and visitors to the sixty-six floors.


Comics

* Miles Morales was bitten by a spider bearing the number 42, causing him to become a Spider-Man. The number was later heavily referenced in the film '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse''. The use of 42 within the franchise references Jackie Robinson's use of the number, though many fans incorrectly believed it to be a ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' reference.


Other fields

* +42 is the historical Select Country for the former country of Czechoslovakia. * There are 42 US gallons in a
barrel of oil A barrel is one of several units of volume applied in various contexts; there are dry barrels, fluid barrels (such as the U.K. beer barrel and U.S. beer barrel), oil barrels, and so forth. For historical reasons the volumes of some barrel units ...
. * 42 is the number of the French
department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of Loire. The number is also reflected in the postal code for that area. * Tower 42 is a skyscraper in the City of London, formerly known as the
NatWest National Westminster Bank, commonly known as NatWest, is a major retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the merger of National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank. In 2000, it ...
Tower. * In New York City, 42nd Street is a main and very popular two-way thoroughfare. Landmarks on it include the Chrysler Building,
Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
, the main branch of the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
, and Times Square. The Headquarters of the United Nations is at the east end of the street. The New York City street is also the setting for a movie by the same name (which also gave fame to its eponymous title song), and which later inspired a musical adaptation, '' 42nd Street''. * 42 is the inspiration for the name of the 42 Center of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, based in Vienna, Austria. * 42 is the name of the private computer science school with
campus A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a college campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls, student centers or dining halls, and park-like se ...
es located in Paris, France, and
Fremont, California Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area, Fremont has a population of 230,504 as of 2020, making it the fourth List of cities and towns in the San Fra ...
. * 42 in Chinese reads sì èr, which is very close to shì a (是啊), which means 'yes'. It was once popular among young Chinese to send '42' as a short message to stand for 'yes'. *42 is the sum of the numbers on a pair of dice. *
42 (dominoes) 42, also known as Texas 42, is a trick-taking game played with a standard set of double six dominoes. 42 is often referred to as the "state game of Texas". Tournaments are held in many towns, and the State Championship tournament is held annual ...
is a trick-taking game played with dominoes, rather than cards. Originated and predominantly found in Texas.


Other languages


See also

* List of highways numbered 42


References


External links

*
My latest favorite Number: 42
John C. Baez John Carlos Baez (; born June 12, 1961) is an American mathematical physics, mathematical physicist and a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) in Riverside, California, Riverside, California. He has worked o ...

The number Forty-two in real life
{{DEFAULTSORT:42 (Number) Integers In-jokes