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From: judith@proper.UUCP (Judith Abrahms)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: 42 (rated X)
Message-ID: <325@proper.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 06:54:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: proper.325
Posted: Tue Sep 24 06:54:17 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 05:29:51 EDT
References: <693@tpvax.fluke.UUCP> <159@ho95e.UUCP> <558@linus.UUCP> <114@decvax.UUCP> <>
Reply-To: judith@proper.UUCP (judith)
Distribution: net
Organization: Proper UNIX, Oakland CA
Lines: 23

In article <> gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) writes:
>> According to someone who asked the author at a Science-Fiction convention,
>> the British Medical Society recommends that a woman refrain from
>> sexual intercourse for six weeks after giving birth.
>
>Probably an attempt to keep the population under control.
>What is this silly subject doing in net.math??


The original article quoted in part by gwyn gives Doug Adams' explanation of
his choice of 42 as the answer to the question, "What do you get when you
multiply 6*9?"  Adams' remark about the six weeks of restraint can best be
viewed in terms of two variables, M and F.  Adams implies that under normal
(i.e., not post-partum) circumstances, in six weeks M would go into F 42 times,
i.e., 6*7.  However, just after F has given birth, sexual intercourse would
cause M and F to multiply.  Therefore '6*9', not 6*7, is the correct answer
for this situation.  If this isn't clear enough, post the whole article to
net.flame and ask the folks there what it sounds like to them.

Hope this clears everything up.

Judith Abrahms
{ucbvax,ihnp4}!dual!proper!judith


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