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Asked by sixfingeredfreak to Alan, Caspar, Diana, Murray, Sarah on 17 Mar 2011 in Categories: General.
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Caspar Addyman answered on 14 Mar 2011:
I wish I knew because it would be the ultimate question.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favourite books ever. (And I’ll bet a lot of the other scientists say this too.)It once inspired me to write to every philosopher in the country. Here’s what I asked them..
Dear Prof X/Dr Y,
As a professional philosopher, I am sure you are continually plagued by cranks and lunatics. I am no exception.
I have got it into my head that you are well placed to know about life, the universe and everything. Therefore, I am writing to ask if you could tell me the meaning of it all. (Do not be too flattered, I am writing to every philosopher in the country!)
If God were required to explain himself I am sure he could do it in a few elegant paragraphs on one crisply typeset foolscap sheet (though as an atheist I have not tried asking him.) You are welcome to go further than this but I would prefer something more like Meditations than either Either/Or or Being & Nothingness.
For the sake of brevity and convenience, please feel free to merely refer* me to a paper you have written elsewhere or something classic by a dead Greek or German.
One final very mundane point, I am not some highbrow Henry Root and in any case the laws of copyright are on your side. But, who knows, if philosophers turn out to be a particularly witty bunch or if you and your peers disagree strongly then I may collect the responses I receive and attempt to publish them.
With Regards,
CasparI wrote to 643 philosophers.. about 20 replied. There were some interesting responses but none of them knew THE answer.
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Sarah Thomas answered on 15 Mar 2011:
The question is ” What is the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything?”
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy! Marvin rules!
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Alan Winfield answered on 16 Mar 2011:
Hah! I guess you must have read Douglas Adams’ brilliant Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy.
In the book a computer called Deep Thought takes millions of years to work out “The Ultimate Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” – 42. Of course no-one could understand the answer so, they built another computer to discover the Ultimate Question – that was a special organic computer called Earth!
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Murray Collins answered on 17 Mar 2011:
How many Amur leopards remain in the wild?
In fact there may even be fewer than 42 individuals now. They are in immediate risk of extinction!
Comments
Alan commented on :
Hi Caspar – I love the letter you wrote to the philosophers.
An old friend of mine wrote a letter to Einstein in about 1956 – and got a reply! He was then inspired to become a philosopher of science.
Murray commented on :
I think it’s great when big names actually reply to you! I wrote to Patrick Moore for help with my work experience when I was 16, and he sorted out a placement in a university for me. Awesome (Thanks again Patrick!!!)
Caspar commented on :
Yes – i may have only got 20 replies but proportionally a lot more of them came from very senior professors than from starting-out postdocs or mid-career people. Since everyone at every level of academia is extremely busy it is not as if i should have expected more or less from any group. So I like to think that part of the reason those people became senior in the first place is that they cared about communicating their enthusiasm for their subject to everyone not just to their colleagues.
Mind you I did get one death threat.
Caspar commented on :
Well one philosopher wrote.
Dear Mr Addyman,
Life is preparation for death. I hope you are well prepared.
😉
moniique commented on :
It must have freaked you out 😀
stabbypete commented on :
Has Deep Thought given us the question yet