The number **42** holds a notable place in popular culture, primarily due to its whimsical significance in **Douglas Adams’** *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy* series. Here’s a breakdown of its key associations:

### 1. **The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979)**
– **Context**: A supercomputer named **Deep Thought** calculates the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” as **42**. However, the characters later realize they never knew the actual *question*, rendering the answer meaningless.
– **Author’s Intent**: Adams famously stated he chose 42 because it was a “simple, ordinary number” with no hidden meaning, underscoring the absurdity of seeking grand answers in a chaotic universe. Fans, however, have concocted countless theories (e.g., linking it to ASCII codes, math, or astronomy), which Adams playfully dismissed.

### 2. **Other Cultural References**
– **Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)**: The radioactive spider that bites Miles Morales bears the number **42**, a nod to both Jackie Robinson’s retired MLB jersey (symbolizing breaking barriers) and Adams’ iconic usage.
– **Technology & Education**: The programming school **42** (founded in Paris) draws its name from the Hitchhiker’s reference, emphasizing creative problem-solving.
– **Science**: The angle of **42 degrees** is the refractive angle of light that creates a rainbow’s primary arc (relative to the antisolar point).

### 3. **Miscellaneous Trivia**
– **Math**: 42 is a pronic number (6 × 7) and a Harshad number (divisible by the sum of its digits).
– **Japanese Culture**: The numbers 4 (shi) and 2 (ni) can phonetically suggest “death” (shini), making 42 occasionally unlucky.

In essence, **42** symbolizes humor, existential irony, and the quest for meaning in absurdity—a testament to Adams’ legacy. Its spread across media and science highlights how pop culture can elevate even the most ordinary numbers to iconic status.