DOUGLAS ADAMS: Parrots, the Universe and Everything
DOUGLAS ADAMS: Parrots, the Universe and Everything on HackerTube: recommended by 5 Hacker News commenters across 6 separate months, 2014–2025.
Douglas Adams gives a talk at UCSB, recorded shortly before his death, about the odd lives of animals and what they suggest about humanity's future. It draws on his Last Chance to See work and is funny and wide-ranging.
What HN commenters said
9 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
tombertMar 2025Strongly recommends
I don't know what you categorize it as (I usually call it an "educational standup"), but his last talk before his death "Parrots, The Universe, and Everything" is one of the greatest things I've ever seen. It's very funny, with a lot of interesting anecdotes about his life, with a lot of interesting facts about animals, and he manages to tie the entire thing together with a pretty clever theme about the environment. I genuinely think it's one of the greatest public speeches ever done, at least in the English language. If you haven't seen it, it's an hour and a half long, and it's totally worth it: ▶ this video
in “So Long and Thanks for All the Words: A Toast to Douglas Adams” · View on HN
simonebrunozziJan 2023Strongly recommends
If you love Douglas Adams, like I do, watch "Douglas Adams: Parrots, the Universe and Everything" [0], if you haven't done so. Heck, even if you did years ago. [0]: ▶ this video
in “When Douglas Adams wrote about Hypercard” · View on HN
simonebrunozziJul 2020Strongly recommends
Douglas Adams is one of my favorite writers, and intellectuals, ever. If you are like me, you absolutely have to watch this hour-long presentation he gave at UC Santa Barbara in 2001 [0], titled "Parrots, the Universe, and Everything". Mind blowing. His last book, "Last chance to see" [1], which is about endangered species, is heavily related to that talk. I recently learned that Douglas Adams had a chance to play on stage at Pink Floyd's 28 October 1994 concert at Earls Court in London [2], playing guitar on the songs "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse". He's even responsible for the 1994 album name "Division Bell" by Pink Floyd. David Gilmour and Douglas Adams were good friends. Well, what can I say... It sucks that he went away too soon. I'd love to read more of his stuff, and I'd love to know his take on today's world. [0]: ▶ this video [1]: [link] [2]: [link]
in “Riding the Rays (1992)” · View on HN
simonebrunozziMar 2020Strongly recommends
Obligatory mention for every fan of Douglas Adams: "Parrots, the Universe, and everything". [0] Watch the whole thing. You will thank me later. [0]: ▶ this video
in ““The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” turns 42” · View on HN
simonebrunozziOct 2019Strongly recommends
Obligatory mention of one of his most wonderful talks [0]: "Parrots, the Universe, and everything" [0]: ▶ this video
in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: 40 years of parody and predictions” · View on HN
sidmitraMar 2025Recommends
Hitchhikers guide was a personality defining read for me when i was younger. I also recommend this video: Parrots, the Universe and Everything ▶ this video Just this week i was looking for more humour writing like Douglas Adams, PG Wodehouse. I came across this award which seems interesting. [link] I plan to read some of them this year.
in “So Long and Thanks for All the Words: A Toast to Douglas Adams” · View on HN
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KeegsJul 2024Recommends
My favorite book is Douglas Adams’ Last Chance to See . He talks about it here [0] and IIRC he says it was his favorite book to write. Adams took a dark subject - endangered animals and our role in their extinction - and told a story that’s equally hilarious and hopeful. [0]: ▶ this video
in “The Later Years of Douglas Adams” · View on HN
dylan-mOct 2019Recommends
In the same way, I'd also recommend Last Chance To See for a slightly different flavour of Douglas Adams. His whimsical style is remarkably well-suited to a non-fiction nature and travel book. I can't say I completely get his science fiction books, but I felt the constraints of a non-fiction book gave me a new appreciation for his sense of humour and his way of balancing that with thoughtful, meaningful exposition. It's one of my favourite books :) He gave a great talk about it, too: ▶ this video
in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: 40 years of parody and predictions” · View on HN
leichtgewichtDec 2014Cites it
▶ this video (Douglas Adams talking, fairly humorously, about extinction) "ending the human race" is such an interesting thing. Put aside that bone-headed nazis will tell you that humans have more than one race: We do extinct other species in incredible amounts (ask any greenpeace flyer). If we were extinguished by our own invention seems sort of fair. But by the off-chance that an AI figures out that we are actually worth being, then there might be an realistic chance that it will actually help us survive our own mistake. A bit of a gamble but if curiosity kills the cat then we are lucky to be alive anyways :)
in “Hawking: AI could end human race” · View on HN