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redfred
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Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/09/2019 2:35 PM

I don't know for sure if Douglas was asking about Diophantine equations but 42 has now been found.

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SolarEagle
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#1

Re: Douglas, we now know the question for your answer of 42.

09/09/2019 3:19 PM

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Tornado
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#2

Re: Douglas, we now know the question for your answer of 42.

09/09/2019 6:04 PM

Within the 99 quadrillion criterion, too.

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artsmith
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#3

Re: Douglas, we now know the question for your answer of 42.

09/09/2019 7:05 PM

Now that that's settled, how many computers will it take to figure out WHY the sum of three cubes = 42 is the ultimate question.

Clearly it has some very special applications.... (who would you trust if not Douglas Adams?)

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IdeaSmith
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#4

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/10/2019 6:20 AM

My excel does not calculate correctly or the solution presented is wrong:

(-80538738812075974)^3 + (80435758145817515)^3 + (12602123297335631)^3 = 42

becomes

1097846267026460000000000000000000000.00

Can you tell me which CPU I am running and what the date and time was when calculated?

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JL Dowell
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#5
In reply to #4

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/10/2019 10:27 AM

Although Excel can display 30 decimal places, its precision for a specified number is confined to 15 significant figures, and calculations may have an accuracy that is even less due to three issues: round off, truncation, and binary storage. [https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Numeric_precision_in_Microsoft_Excel]

The three numbers used have more than 15 digits, then cubing each does not help either. Excel is not the right tool for this particular job.

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IdeaSmith
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#9
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Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/10/2019 11:14 PM

Yeah I fancied as much!

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Jpfalt
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#6

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/10/2019 11:14 AM

I have always accepted the answer in the book, "What do you get if you multiply 6 by 9?"

I have taken it as the proof that God has 13 fingers.
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artsmith
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#13
In reply to #6

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 9:54 AM

If you get 42 by multiplying 6 by 9, you would have to add "... when you don't know your times tables?" to the ultimate question.

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Jpfalt
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#14
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Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 10:52 AM

Not if you are using base 13.
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artsmith
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#15
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Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 3:25 PM

You got me there! Not ever using base 13, what have I been missing?.

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Tornado
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#16
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Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 4:07 PM

Three fingers.

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artsmith
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#18
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Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 4:45 PM

Splarf.. It's bad enough being left handed.

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HiTekRedNek
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#19
In reply to #14

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/15/2019 7:33 AM

What about base 20:(toes+fingers)?

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Paulusgnome
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#7

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/10/2019 3:28 PM

The ASCII character with the code '42' is the asterisk *, commonly used these days as a wild-card character.

Douglas Adams was saying was that the answer to the great question is 'whatever you make of it'.

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artsmith
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#12
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Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 9:49 AM

Hmmm... it's not too far fetched in today's world to think that the ultimate question has to do with an efficient means of file management.

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Sid_Sidow
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#8

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/10/2019 8:44 PM

I'm still working on the formula for Ice-9...….

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HiTekRedNek
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#10
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Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 7:38 AM

Asimov is right,but you don't want to hear your surgeon saying that.

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HiTekRedNek
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#11

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 7:41 AM

In that case,the answer for dark matter is: .0238095

And for spacetime it would be 255=236.

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#17

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/12/2019 4:27 PM

Final Jeopardy answer: 42

James Holzhauer (writing really really small):
What is (-80538738812075974)^3 + (80435758145817515)^3 + (12602123297335631)^3 ?

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Be well, Alex.

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#20

Re: Douglas, We Now Know the Question for Your Answer of 42.

09/17/2019 12:37 AM

The answer to 42 was, what is 6 times 9. Which underscored how fundementally screwed up the universe really is.

Douglas Adams revealed this answer in "Restaurant at the end of the universe" IIRC

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