Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/donateidea The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is about everything. Life, the Universe, everything. If you've read these amazing books, you know the answer is 42, but what's the question? To find out what the question was, they built a giant computer we call Earth. And though it seems silly, perhaps Douglas Adams was correct, and that not just earth, but the WHOLE UNIVERSE is an incredibility complex computational system, processing the answer to some unknown question. The universe IS made up of information, similar to a computer, and physics (you know, the basis of the universe) certainly is based on computational principles. But is it running some grand program? Will the answer be 42? Make sure you have your towel, and watch the episode! Reading List: -- An Introduction to Digital Philosophy, Edward Fredkin, International Journal of Theoretical Physics, Vol. 42, No. 2, February 2003 ( C ° 2003) - Edward Fredkin1 -- The Computable Universe, edited by Hector Zenil -- Information, Physics, Quantum: The Search for Links, by John Archibald Wheeler -- Against Digital Ontology - Luciano Floridi "a computer of such infinite and subtle complexity that organic life itself will form part of its operational matrix." http://www.clivebanks.co.uk/THHGTTG/THHGTTGradio4.htm Simulation Argument: http://www.simulation-argument.com/ Numberphile Videos: Is Zero Even? - Numberphile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t1TC-5OLdM Problems with Zero - Numberphile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRRolKTlF6Q Zero Factorial - Numberphile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfk_L4Nx2ZI Tweet of the week: https://twitter.com/cadelllast/status/343405610655678464 Music: "Europe" by Roglok (http://www.roglok.net/) "Carry on Carillon" by Roglok (http://www.roglok.net/) "Bouncy Castle" by Roglok (http://www.roglok.net/) ":P" by Roglok (http://www.roglok.net/) Level 5: Room for the Homeless http://www.jamendo.com/en/list/a101325/level-5 Chiptune - Kenzalol https://soundcloud.com/chiptune/kenzalol Clockwork - Titan (geometry remix) https://soundcloud.com/wompworthy/clockwork-titan-geometry-remix Let us know what sorts of crazy ideas you have, about this episode and otherwise: Tweet at us! @pbsideachannel (yes, the longest twitter username ever) Email us! pbsideachannel [at] gmail [dot] com Idea Channel Facebook! http://Facebook.com/pbsideachannel Hosted by Mike Rugnetta (@mikerugnetta) Made by Kornhaber Brown (http://www.kornhaberbrown.com/) Want some more Idea Channel? Here's Last Week's episode: "Is Math A Feature of The Universe or a Feature of Human Creation? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbNymweHW4E Want another one? Here ya go: "Is Developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethical?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95KhuSbYJGE Here's Some More: "Is Sad Music Actually Sad?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWWYE4eLEfk