The short story that Douglas Adams parodied in the famous "42" scene from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - "Answer" by Fredric Brown (1954)

"Is there a god?" A story about turning on a galactic supercomputer. Written by Fredric Brown in 1954. Famously parodied by Douglas Adams in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Just under 2 minutes to listen to. Hope you enjoy!