All Fermi answers
Fermi #12 · Question 3

How long would it take to watch every episode of The Simpsons?

Explore the official answer and the simple reasoning behind this Fermi estimate.

3QUESTION 3 OF 3

Answer & explanation

The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.

Answer & explanation

Official answer

296

hours

How to estimate it

Fermi’s official “Napkin math”

The Simpsons has run since the late 80s, so call it about 36 years. Roughly 22 episodes a season, each about 22 minutes without ads.

Years on air
~36
Episodes per year
× 22
Minutes each
× 22
÷ 60
≈ 290 hours

Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.

Source calculation & reference
Total episodes aired (through Feb 2026)
≈ 808
Avg runtime (no ads)
× 22 min
808 × 22 ÷ 60
≈ 296 hours (~12.3 days)

Reference cited by Fermi: Wikisimpsons list of episodes

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