h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mr. Pratchett came up in a previous entry on the Standard Model of Particle Physics:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A666173

QUOTE

This sounds more complicated than the theory proposed by the older woman to the philosophy professor. She said she knew what held the universe up. "It's riding on the back of a turtle." The prof asked "What holds the turtle up?" "It's riding on the back of another turtle." When the prof started to ask another question, she held up her hand and said, "It's turtles all the way down, sonny."

END QUOTE

Someone pointed out the prof was a Huxley, and someone else pointed out that the turtle(s) made Mr. Pratchett a lot of money.

Ever read The Science of Discworld and The Science of Discworld II: The Globe? Pratchett, Stewart, and Cohen (the authors) make use of this remark.

TRiG.

Elephants and turtles sound kind of familiar. In Indian mythology isn't the world carried on the backs of four elephants which are themselves standing on a giant turtle?

Something like that. Terry Pratchett definitely didn't make it up, and he said that there seems to be a turtle-shaped hole in people's consiousness...