42 Puzzle

The 42 Puzzle is a game devised by Douglas Adams in 1994 for the United States series of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" books.

The number 42

In the series, 42 is known as The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Deep Thought, a sophisticated computer constructed by hyper-intelligent, pandimensional beings (mice), gave the answer after seven-and-a-half million years of calculating.

The puzzle

The puzzle is an illustration consisting of 42 multi-coloured balls, in 7 columns and 6 rows. Douglas Adams has said,

In the puzzle the question is unknown, but the answer is already known to be 42.

The puzzle first appeared in "The Illustrated Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". It was later incorporated into the covers of all five reprinted "Hitchhiker's" novels in the United States.

olutions to the Puzzle

Six of the solutions are: [cite web|url=http://stason.org/TULARC/education-books/douglas-adams/4-8-Probable-Solution-to-the-Ill-Guide-Puzzle-Douglas-Adams.html|title=4.8 Probable Solution to the Ill Guide Puzzle (Douglas Adams)|accessdate=2007-08-19]

References

ee also