I rather like this as a theory :-)

In Japanese, 4 is "Shi" and 2 is "Ni" -- so 42 would sound surprisingly close to "ShiNe," meaning "death."

I prefer the * theory ^_^

But * means all/everything in any programming language I've come across...

@Darkler really? It usually means 'multiply' in every language I ever used

@Krokoklemme Oh true I forgot about that. I meant more like:

import java.util.*;

SELECT * FROM universe;

from Tkinter import *

Etc.

@Darkler Java, SQL, Python

languages I'm not working with xD

@Krokoklemme fair enough. Also +15 points for naming those

In most shells, * is used to select all files/ folders in a given path, but you need a special flag to view the hidden ones :)

Also regex, where * means 0 or more of the matching pattern. So any amount of whatever you want.

"The answer to this is very simple. It was a joke. It had to be a number, an ordinary, smallish number, and I chose that one. Binary representations, base thirteen, Tibetan monks are all complete nonsense. I sat at my desk, stared into the garden and thought '42 will do' I typed it out. End of story."

- Douglas Adams

@Ashkin Well, "Ni" Makes more of a "knee" sound, where as "Ne" is more so "nay" sound. Also wanna point out that ShiNe is more so "Die". So i guess the meaning of life in your context is to die xD Sounds about right

Shouldn't it be "0x2A"?

Well there was that additional thing where they find out that the question is "what do you get when you multiple six by nine?"
There is of course the discussion as you whether the question was correct or not, but if it was then it lends to an interesting statement about the universe

@nicnaknic hence "surprisingly close"