Answer & explanation
The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.
Answer & explanation
Official answer
381
feet
How to estimate it
Fermi’s official “Napkin math”
Put the tallest tree you've ever stood under next to a building. How many floors would it reach? Maybe 20, and a floor is about 10 feet. The record holder should beat it comfortably, so double it.
- Floors that tree would reach
- ~20
- Feet per floor
- × 10
- Double it for the record holder
- × 2
- 20 × 10 × 2
- ≈ 400 ft
Put the tallest tree you've ever stood under next to a building. How many floors would it reach? Maybe 20, and a floor is about 3 meters. The record holder should beat it comfortably, so double it.
- Floors that tree would reach
- ~20
- Meters per floor
- × 3
- Double it for the record holder
- × 2
- 20 × 3 × 2
- ≈ 120 m
Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.
Source calculation & reference
- Hyperion, a coast redwood in Redwood National Park, California
- 116.22 m (2026 measurement)
- Convert meters to feet
- × 3.28
- 116.22 × 3.28
- ≈ 381 ft
Reference cited by Fermi: Guinness World Records, tallest living tree: Hyperion, a coast redwood measured at 116.22 m (381.3 ft)
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