Geo42 is a term that John and Tina Callahan conceived as an homage to Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and the quest for the “The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.” After some very deep thought, the answer was ultimately determined to be 42. As to what exactly is the ultimate question???? Well, that’s different story, and required a long-term experiment called…Earth. The idea that the question is more important than the answer, and it may not matter if you ever get the answer right as long as you are following the right question, is something that we believe is true. The “Geo” part, of course, meaning “relating to Earth”. Not only in the sense of land/ground, but also the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, and ice. (I guess the people too…) You could look at Geo42 meaning “everything Geo” or simply as a catchy name that is easy to remember. Both of us are climate scientists, science fiction fans, and Douglas Adams fans, so we lean to the former more than the latter.

Did Adams have a secret meaning behind his using “42”? Was Arthur correct when he answered “What is 6 x 9?” as being the ultimate question? (Of course, nobody jokes in base 13!) Does 42 have a special place in the cosmos? If so, was it there all along or only since 1979? You decide for yourself:

• For Math Fans, a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42
• 10 Reasons Why 42 is the Most Important Number in the Universe
• The Biggest Fundamental Questions That ‘42’ Really Is The Answer To
• Towel Day (May 25), Douglas Adams, and the Real Meaning of ’42’
• 42 and Douglas Adams – Numberphile

This site, while not the answer to everything (or possibly anything!) Geo, will attempt to be the place we share information regarding climate and weather, geography and geospatial, science and information, and more. For starters, however, it serves as a joint personal website, including our work, photos, and possibly other things that I see others posting on their personal sites. This site was created in July 2021. We’ll see where it goes from here…