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42 *IS* The answer to Life, the Universe and Zeta

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the douglas-adams-was-right dept.

Venusian Treen writes "In their search for patterns, mathematicians have uncovered unlikely connections between prime numbers and quantum physics. The gist is that energy levels in the nucleus of heavy atoms can tell us about the distribution of zeros in Riemann's zeta function - and hence where to find prime numbers. This article discusses this connection, and introduces two physisicts who tell us 'why the answer to life, the universe and the third moment of the Riemann zeta function should be 42.'"

3 of 316 comments (clear)

  1. Oops. So much for encryption by RonTheHurler · · Score: 5, Interesting
    If the article is true, and prime numbers can be gleaned from quantum stuff, and quantum computers are just around the corner... will that obsolete all our public key encryption tools? How does this affect quantum encryption? Will we have to wait for our household Mr. Fusion reactors to power these systems to maintain encryption? Will all this happen within the next 5 years?

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  2. Obligatory Alan Turing reference by Flying+pig · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The connection with the computer industry is that Alan Turing had a grant from the Royal Society to build an analog system (using gears no less) to investigate the zeroes of the Riemann Zeta Function.

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    Pining for the fjords
  3. Re:You mean by sconeu · · Score: 4, Interesting

    And from that, it becomes obvious that the Hyperintelligent Pandimensional Beings (aka white mice) have 13 fingers in their natural form.

    6x9 = 54 (base 10) = 42 (base 13).

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    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.