transcript:
cat mum: what’s 6 times 7?
cat boy (making faces): 6 7!!!
cat mum: hilarious, as always. but actually …?
cat boy: 42
cat mum: 6 x 7 - 6 7 - is 42?!
cat boy: yeah … so?
cat mum (making faces): that means 6 7 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything!
cat boy: daddy! mommy’s being weird again!
cat dad: aww, you see son, - your mommy is just a huge dork!
cat mum: history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes!
The reason, or at least a significant part of the reason, if not the complete reason, that Arthur derives that question in particular is because he’s a result of the corruption of the calculation caused by the arrival of the B Ark of Golgafrinchams on Earth.
If Arthur had actually been a six foot tall Earth-ape descendant as described by the guide, his brain would have contained the actual answer rather than something almost but not quite totally unlike the true question.
Spot on.
Also: Knowledge of the answer precludes knowledge the question. Peak knew that.
But then the universe would have popped out of existence and been replaced by a more complicated one.
Again.
So we got lucky there.