Magic 8-ball
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The Magic 8-ball is a toy used for fortune-telling. It is a hollow, plastic sphere that has the appearance of an oversized, black and white, billiards 8-ball. Inside the sphere is blue liquid and a floating die with answers to yes-no questions printed on its 20 triangular faces. There is a translucent window on the bottom of the 8-ball, and when the ball is held so that the window faces up, the die floats to the top exposing one of its faces in the window.
The way to do fortune-telling with the ball is as follows: Hold the ball with the window down. Ask a yes-no question, then turn the ball so that the window faces up. In the window, one face of the die will be visible, revealing the response to your question.
Ten of the possible answers are variations of "yes", five are ambiguous, and five are variations of "no".
The 20 standard answers on a Magic 8-Ball are:
- Signs point to yes.
- Yes.
- Reply hazy, try again.
- Without a doubt.
- My sources say no.
- As I see it, yes.
- You may rely on it.
- Concentrate and ask again.
- Outlook not so good.
- It is decidedly so.
- Better not tell you now.
- Very doubtful.
- Yes - definitely.
- It is certain.
- Cannot predict now.
- Most likely.
- Ask again later.
- My reply is no.
- Outlook good.
- Don't count on it.
Web sites similar to the Magic 8-Ball can be found. One such site is Advice Bunny.
External links
- The Magic 8-Ball: An Unofficial Home Page (http://8ball.ofb.net/) includes photographs of the dissection of a Magic 8-Ball.
- Ask the Magic Eight Ball (http://8ball.joyandbobby.com/) A javascript eight ball that uses all the official answers.