with open("sample.txt") as f: fish = [int(n) for n in f.read().split(',')] def advance(fish): tomorrow = [] spawn = 0 for f in fish: if f == 0: tomorrow.append(6) spawn += 1 else: tomorrow.append(f-1) for i in range(spawn): tomorrow.append(8) return tomorrow def part1(fish): for i in range(80): fish = advance(fish) return len(fish) print(part1(fish)) ## TOO LONG # def part2(fish): # for i in range(256): # fish = advance(fish) # return len(fish) # print(part2(fish))