The phrase 'The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything' originates from Douglas Adams' legendary 1979 novel, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In the story, the supercomputer Deep Thought spends 7.5 million years calculating the ultimate answer, only to reveal it is simply the number '42.' This has since become a cornerstone of geek culture and internet memes, used to highlight the absurdity of seeking profound meaning in a chaotic universe. Memes using this template often pair complex, existential questions with the simple, deadpan response of '42,' or swap the number for something equally mundane or oddly specific to a particular subculture.