Q:

Strange requirements for 3 Answer Badges

I just noticed the requirements for the following 3 Answer Badges:

Explainer: Edit and answer 1 question (both actions within 12 hours, answer score > 0)  67 awarded
Refiner: 
Edit and answer 50 questions (both actions within 12 hours, answer score > 0)  2 awarded
Illuminator: Edit and answer 500 questions (both actions within 12 hours, answer score > 0)

From "Edit and answer 1 question ..." to "Edit and answer 50 questions ..." and then 500 questions, all within 12 hours, seems to be very big quantum leaps. To edit and answer 500 questions, both actions within 12 hours, one would have to edit and answer about 42 questions per hour on average. Keeping that pace for just one hour would tax the most experienced members of this group, but maintaining it for 12 hours? Seems to be a very unrealistic goal.
Were the numbers intended to be 1, 5 & 50? Those seem more sensible.

A:

You have misunderstood the requirements.
You have to edit and answer within 12 hours for explainer, then repeat that up to 50 times for refiner and 500 for illuminator.
This does not mean editing 500 questions in 12 hours.  It means editing and answering 500 times.  You can take years over it.  It is the editing and answering that must be within 12 hours.
This was explained in the  announcement of the new badges here on the main Meta a couple of years ago.  The final requirements are in this answer.
If you compare the numbers 1-50-500 to similar badge sequences, such as Editor (1) -Strunk & White (80) - Copy Editor (500), they seem quite reasonable.

