Is planet Earth a galactic madhouse?

[Cyrano]

Suppose for a moment that our galaxy in inhabited by countless beings on millions of planets. Then suppose that, every once in a while, a mutant is born and is isolated on a galactic asylum named Earth.

And further suppose that the beings that inhabit the galaxy are not being cruel, but are merely trying to protect themselves from an incurable infection before it can spread.

Of all the explanations I can come up with for the self-destructive, crazed activities of human beings, this theory seems to make sense. We have been destroying each other throughout all of recorded history and it’s possible we’re on the verge of completing the job -- Afghanistan being the latest piece of insanity.

So if you have a better theory as to why humanity seems like a derailed train, rushing toward its own destruction, let’s hear it.

[Are_grits_groceries]

1. 42 nt

[Cyrano]

4. Ummm, I don't get it. Is 42 the average IQ of humans?

[lapfog_1]

5. It's the answer.

Of course, you now have to figure out what the question was.

[Cyrano]

7. Okay. So far, this thread is attracting sane people who

were put here by mistake.

[Subdivisions]

6. It's the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. n/t

[lapfog_1]

11. Or possibly "what is 6 X 9"?

(hint, some aliens didn't have 10 fingers).

[Dogmudgeon]

24. Wrong place!

Oops!

[tavalon]

23. Lol

No, but it sometimes seems like it.

[Dogmudgeon]

25. It's a sci-fi geek in-joke

"42 is the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything" is a gag from Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers' Guide franchise.

The books are extremely funny and well worth reading. But it's still an in-joke, and since you are obviously not in on it, they are using you as the butt of a low-intensity game of "make fun of the stupid kid".

It's like the thousands of "Tetsuo"s or "Verbal Kint"s or "TANSTAAFL"s or "Basil Fawlty"s and other reduplicative names of Internetters -- pop culture has been mined deeply.

On reconsideration:

"Making fun" is much too harsh a response to this in-joke. I've seen in-gags like "42" used as a bludgeon and over-reacted. I'm leaving the post stand only so other readers have some context, but I do not believe you are actually being abused.

The Hitchhikers' Guides are still excellent books. There have been radio shows, TV shows, and even a movie made based on the series. All Adams' books are widely available, even in used book stores. I may be an idiot about a lot of things, but not about this.

--d!

[Subdivisions]

28. -1. Nothing I have said in this thread was delivered in the

spirit of "make fun of the stupid kid". As you said, the books are EXTREMELY funny and, as such, are EXTREMELY fun to trot out at any opportunity. This OP provided one of the best opportunities I've ever seen during my time on DU.

[Dogmudgeon]

30. Hence, "low-intensty"

In-jokes are like that.

However, even low-intensity is is probably too harsh an assessment. I apologize for the remark and will add comment.

--d!

[Subdivisions]

32. Hey, no harm done mate...was just sayin' =) n/t

[hobbit709]

2. The "B" ship

Middle managers, telephone sanitizers and hairdressers.

[lapfog_1]

3. Yup, we were originally populated by telephone sanitizers. - n/t

[lapfog_1]

8. Just to clue you in...

All of the responses to your OP are from Douglas Adams fans (me included).

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the other books in the series.

Adams humorously postulated much the same theory as in your OP. We got the hairdressers and telephone sanitizers... who think that digital watches (OK, now it would be blackberries) are "pretty cool" things.

Originally rated by the Galaxy as "Harmless" which was later updated to "Mostly Harmless".

[Cyrano]

9. I've heard the title of the book, but never read it. Time for a trip to the library.

[Subdivisions]

14. That is a trip that you will not regret. n/t

[lapfog_1]

15. Get them all, and the other non-Hitchhiker Adams books.

I especially liked his "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency".

[Are_grits_groceries]

47. Did you ever read 'Last Chance to See' ?

Adam's went with a team to see some of the most endangered animals on Earth. It was informative, sad, and laugh-out loud funny. Adams had a way of describing some situations that were hysterical.

However, he also made a serious plea to help these animals and to stop conditions that were putting many more at risk.

[Are_grits_groceries]

10. Sorry. I couldn't resist.

Your question was just too good not to give the answer from Douglas Adams' series.

[Cyrano]

35. No harm done. I grew up on Isaac Asimov and

read everything he ever wrote (fact and fiction).

I've often made references to Asimov's writings even though I knew that many wouldn't "get it." A lot of his quotes made sense in and of themselves.

Nonetheless, I've got to get caught up on the entire "Hitchhiker's Guide To ... " books, films, etc.

Thanks for shaking me awake. I often drift off and I guess that's why I've been sentenced to life on this planet.

[Subdivisions]

12. Actually, this planet is scheduled for destruction to make way

for an inter-galactic free-trade highway bypass system.

[Dogmudgeon]

29. Another mis-place.

I may be losing it. Me, or my computer.

The post is moved again.

--d!

[Subdivisions]

33. Damn Dogmudgeon! It's going to be one of those days =) n/t

[lapfog_1]

46. He needs to engage the improbability drive.

But first he will need a warm cup of tea.

[RedCloud]

13. It took human ancestors more than one million years to flake both sides of a rock.

What can you expect from their offspring?

[Subdivisions]

16. Bwaahahahahah!

[tabatha]

22. Some of them still cannot do that today.

[lunatica]

17. Well jeez! Somebody has to do it

[Cyrano]

18. Thanks for all the terrific info to this point.

Gotta go to work. Back at you later.

[Subdivisions]

19. It's Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings' fault. Had we been the source for the

fourth worst poetry in the Universe, the bypass commission may have spared us.

[lapfog_1]

20. ah yes, even worse that the

poet master Grunthos the Flatulent and his poem, "Ode To A Small Lump of Green Putty I Found In My Armpit One Midsummer Morning".

[rurallib]

21. I shall long remember my trip to this thread

:eyes: :think: :crazy:

[gordianot]

26. Excellent thread.

We are all out of control monkeys throwing..... well you know. The Earth needs to make a correction in its evolution.

[pokerfan]

27. When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show.

When you're born in America, you get a front row seat.

(George Carlin)

[notesdev]

31. We're the Australia of the galaxy?

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

34. Fairness? Decency?

How can you expect fairness and decency on a planet of sleeping people?

[Cyrano]

36. "You've been living in a dream world, Neo."

Sorry. It's a quote from "The Matrix" that I just couldn't resist using to answer your question.

[blues90]

37. Reminds me in a way of The Day The Earth Stood Still

Everyone panicked scratching their fool heads , they had a difficult time getting all the leaders from all over the globe together all because stupid humans were reaching out further and further with their idea and mental deficiency dissorder of murder and death.

We were offered ways to develope peace with our inventions yet we chose the same course and will never learn.

[Echo In Light]

38. _

Col. Vincent Kane: "In order for life to have appeared spontaneously on earth, there first had to be hundreds of millions of protein molecules of the ninth configuration. But given the size of the planet Earth, do you know how long it would have taken for just one of these protein molecules to appear entirely by chance? Roughly ten to the two hundred and forty-third power billions of years. And I find that far, far more fantastic than simply believing in God."

[guitar man]

39. "Galactic Madhouse"

Thanks, now I know what to name my next band!

:hi:

[Prometheuspan]

40. in summary.. yes..

however, its not because they find the disease out there and then quarantine it here... its just us here... being nutty...

the cosmos in general views earth as an insane and primitive pre civilized buncha monkeys.

[Xenotime]

41. One word..fundaMENTALists...notice the emphasis on MENTAL

[NYC Liberal]

42. Hmmm. You may be onto something here!

This...



could not possibly have come from here!

[Cyrano]

44. At least Limbaugh has an excuse

The crazy bastard is probably stoned out of his mind on oxycontin during his every waking hour. And his "dittoheads" are fugitives from "Night of the Living Dead."

But Obama? ... I hate to believe we've been had. ... Again.

[dusmcj]

43. cause physics says things don't always work the way we want them to /nt

[alterfurz]

45. Mark Twain's view:

"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained."