New Evidence Confirms 42 is the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything

In 1978, BBC writer Douglas Adams famously introduced the computer Deep Thought to his popular saga The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Deep Thought was intended to determine the answer to  the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. But there was a problem. After seven and a half million years of calculations Deep Thought presented the answer, 42, only for it to turn out nobody knew the Ultimate Question. This has become a popular joke and one that has often been referenced in countless science fiction works.

Only now it turns out Adams may have been closer to the truth than anyone realized. Astronomers at the University of Woolamaloo were astounded when they uncovered the shocking evidence that definitively proves 42 is in fact the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.

"Those pommies ain't got nothing on us now," yelled Dr. Bruce Idle, dean of the university's astronomy department. "We know the answer to life, the universe, and everything."

According to Smith, the discovery was made by accident during a party with the University's Philosophy Department. A number of faculty members were drinking heavily when Dr. Bruce Chapman, an instructor of classical philosophy, accidentally tripped over a telescope. When he looked through the eyepiece, he reportedly saw the number 42.

"It was unbelievable!" Chapman yelled. "I was a little drunk but I could clearly see that it was the number 42.

Dr. Bruce Chapman (Middle-Left) and his team after their discovery

Dr. Bruce Palin was slightly less drunk, having managed to drink one less milliliter of beer than Chapman. He also corroborated Chapman's story.

"All this time we thought we could only see part of the universe," Palin said. "Turns out we can see all of it. There's just so many empty spaces because the universe itself is shaped like the numbers 42. How did we not find this sooner?"

"This will revolutionize science as we know it."

But not everyone was excited about the discovery. Dr. Bruce Jones, a professor of rationalist thinking, has expressed his own concerns.

"We need to be careful with this discovery," Jones said. "If there is actually a meaning of life we philosophers are going to be out of business!"

When questioned about the implications of this discovery with regards to the meaning of life, Dr. Palin simply yelled "NO POOFTERS!"

Dr. Cleese has a slightly different interpretation. When asked for his impression, he said "Now I really don't want to catch anyone NOT DRINKING AFTER HOURS!"

Further drinking research is being conducted in order to figure out the ultimate question.