Bracket #18 — the answers
The five questions from October 17, 2026, with their answers, the track each ran on, and the bracket that would have scored 90 on it.
The answers
| # | Question | Answer | Track | A tenth of it, on the answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How many digits does a googol have? | 101 | 10 to 1,000, logarithmic | 80 to 130 |
| 2 | How fast does the International Space Station orbit? | 17,500 miles per hour | 1,000 to 100,000, logarithmic | 14,000 to 22,000 |
| 3 | How high is an Olympic diving platform? | 33 feet | 5 to 100 | 28.5 to 37.5 |
| 4 | How many minutes are in 29 days? | 41,760 | 1,000 to 100,000, logarithmic | 33,000 to 53,000 |
| 5 | What year was the first text message sent? | 1,992 | 1,950 to 2,025 | 1,988 to 1,996 |
Question by question
A question scores 100 minus the bracket’s width as a percentage of the track, if the answer is inside it, and nothing if it is outside. The tenth-of-the-track bracket below is the one a confident player was aiming for.
- How many digits does a googol have? 101 — near the middle of its track (a logarithmic track, so a tenth of it is a tenth of the powers of ten it spans). A bracket from 80 to 130 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How fast does the International Space Station orbit? 17,500 miles per hour — near the middle of its track (a logarithmic track, so a tenth of it is a tenth of the powers of ten it spans). A bracket from 14,000 to 22,000 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How high is an Olympic diving platform? 33 feet — in the lower third of its track. A bracket from 28.5 to 37.5 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How many minutes are in 29 days? 41,760 — in the upper third of its track (a logarithmic track, so a tenth of it is a tenth of the powers of ten it spans). A bracket from 33,000 to 53,000 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- What year was the first text message sent? 1,992 — near the middle of its track. A bracket from 1,988 to 1,996 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
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About Bracket
Bracket is Noggin’s estimation puzzle, on the second shelf: five questions a day with a number for an answer, bracketed rather than named, outside the daily line-up. How to play Bracket, or play today’s.