Bracket #33 — the answers

The five questions from November 1, 2026, with their answers, the track each ran on, and the bracket that would have scored 90 on it.

The answers

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.

1. How many people live in the Tokyo metropolitan area? 37M — 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 23M to 59M is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
2. How long does sunlight take to reach Earth? 499 seconds — 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 280 to 890 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
3. What year did the Berlin Wall come down? 1,989 — in the upper third of its track. A bracket from 1,983 to 1,995 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
4. How long is an elephant’s pregnancy? 22 months — near the middle of its track. A bracket from 20 to 24 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
5. How many inches are in 33 yards? 1,188 — 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 870 to 1,600 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.